Youngest Person in the Room

Are you often considered “young” in your profession? I know I have been labeled “young” by many throughout the past 15 years of my career. I’d like to share some of what I have learned during that time.

My first job out of college was selling condos. I’ll never forget when I took around a potential buyer to our model units. Afterwards she met with my boss to go over options. My boss asked the potential buyer how I did and she replied, “He was great, even though he’s a bit ‘green’”. When my boss gave me the feedback, I replied, “What does she mean green?” Ahh, to be green, young, and have the naivety to not even know what “green” meant. I still remember that talk with my boss and over time I became less green and more knowledgeable about how to sell.

I was reminded of that interaction with my boss a few months ago when a conversation sparked a renewed curiosity in me about what it means to be young. A well-intended person asked about how I work with CEOs despite my age. I looked at him and said something to the effect of, “Dude, I am 36, with 2 kids, a bum knee, and a receding hair line. Not sure when people get their adult license, but I think I qualify.” Well, maybe that wasn’t exactly how I responded, but it’s definitely what was going on in my head and it really got me thinking.

Here’s what I have come to realize. When you are the youngest person in the room, you are often in the right room. It’s a massive opportunity to learn, grow and share. However, often when we are the youngest person, we feel threatened, an imposter, feeling as though we have to prove our worth to be in the room, which gets in the way of our capacity to learn and grow. We often unnecessarily defend our perspective with conviction and a lack of curiosity. We’ve all been there and it’s often not our best look.

Today, there are rooms where I am still the youngest. Here’s what I do. I give myself credit. I remind myself that I was invited to be there for a reason. I belong. And still, I focus on taking the time to learn by asking intentional questions. I soak up the experience in the room. Then, when it’s appropriate, I share my damn opinion. That’s why I was invited in the room in the first place. But the curiosity often comes before the conviction. That’s key.

I leave you with this. How do you need to show up when you are the youngest person in the room? What can you do to share what you have to offer while still learning through curiosity, so you become less green? No matter your path, remember, if you are the youngest person in the room, you are most likely in the right room.