You Are The Only Expert In You

I once gave an ENTIRE training session from the back of the room, standing BEHIND my audience the whole time.

I told myself, and them, it was so they could see the slides properly, without my lanky 6ft frame in their way but, the truth is, I was terrified.

Here I was, in my early 20s, wondering what the hell a young lad like me could teach a group of older, wiser teachers and headteachers?!

It was also one of the first times I was being paid as a freelancer. No organisation to hide behind, no greater cause to promote, no boss to back me up if it all went wrong.

Just me, my skills and my knowledge. I felt very, very exposed.

At the end of the session, the headteacher handed me a stack of evaluation forms which, to my surprise, were positive. 

She said she’d been a Head for 20 years but my experience, ideas and insights on the topic had made her think differently; and she made me promise to stand at the front!

In that moment, I realised that the combination of our experience, skills and values makes each of us unique. I’d placed so much value on theirs that I’d completely undervalued my own.

I sometimes share this when people don’t feel confident about public speaking. A reminder that, even in a room full of experts, you are the only expert in you.