Malcom Gladwell speaking to a audience of Google engineers shared the statistics of those who accepted application to their second or third choice for college education and how every one of them performed and felt better being a big fish in a relatively small pond. Other statistics of people who accepted their first pick—where they found themselves to be “just normal” demonstrated the opposite. These “normal” students struggled with self-esteem, motivation, and even dropped out despite their performance and ability being equal to those who had not chosen their first college pick.
Everyone performs better when they feel like they are the subject-matter expert. It’s just human nature. It feels good to be able to contribute and help others grow and you cement your own knowledge and mastery even further in process. It’s a win-win, as they say. Not only is motivation to shine increased, but you want to learn even more and get even better. Our identities, our egos, are fulfilled in a good way by our performance. This is the confidence we should all seek (as opposed to unearned hubris). It drives us internally to do better and want to improve.
On the job, you can apply this concept to great effect. Go from being a junior to subject matter expert just by changing where you work. While rubbing shoulders side-by-side with people who know their craft has obvious advantages, opportunities to shine and grow are not as common when they are on the same team at work. Consider seeking mentorship and association with those far more capable than you outside of work so that you are an even bigger fish on your team at work. By having a support network of peers and mentors better than you outside of work you can feel safe knowing that any task thrown your way is something you can handle with their guidance. This makes you capable and confident to accept projects that make you grow even more.