“Are you really an expert in positioning?”

The question came during a client meeting. Before I could answer, I remembered something fascinating about Microsoft’s transformation. When Satya Nadella took over as CEO, he did something counterintuitive. Instead of flaunting Microsoft’s expertise, he pushed for a complete mindset shift from “know-it-alls” to “learn-it-alls.”

The result? Microsoft’s market cap skyrocketed from $300 billion to over $3 trillion. Not bad for a company that decided to embrace ignorance over expertise.

“No,” I replied to the client. “I’m still learning.”

The client smiled. “That’s exactly why we want to work with you.”

Here’s the thing about expertise: it’s like quicksand. The harder you try to prove you have it, the faster you sink.

The Science Behind Why “Experts” Are Full of Shit

Ever heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect? This fascinating psychological phenomenon shows that the less people know about something, the more confident they are about it. Think about that for a second. The loudest “expert” in the room is often the least knowledgeable.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. True experts – the ones who’ve spent decades mastering their craft – tend to be full of doubt. They understand just how vast and complex their field really is.

Some mind-blowing stats for you:

• A 2019 study found that self-proclaimed experts were significantly more likely to claim knowledge of completely made-up terms and concepts
• Stanford research shows that leaders who say “I don’t know” are actually seen as more competent, not less
• Companies with “learning cultures” outperform their peers by up to 25% in innovation metrics

The Brain Science of Being Wrong

Want to know something wild about your brain? The moment you declare yourself an expert, your brain literally becomes less receptive to new information. Scientists call it “cognitive entrenchment.” I call it the expertise trap.

Think about the best doctor you’ve ever met. Did they need to tell you they were an expert? Or did their expertise show up in their questions, their approach, their results?

As Al Ries points out in his classic book “Positioning,” the moment you have to tell people you’re number one, you’re not. It’s like those people who constantly remind everyone how humble they are. (Spoiler alert: They’re not humble.)

The Nokia Nightmare

Remember Nokia? They were the undisputed kings of mobile phones. Their experts knew everything about phones. Everything. And that’s exactly what killed them.

When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone in 2007, Nokia’s experts were unimpressed. “We didn’t do anything wrong,” their CEO famously declared as their market share collapsed.

They didn’t do anything wrong, and that was precisely the problem. They were too expert to learn.

Breaking Free from the Expert Trap

So, how do you avoid falling into the expertise trap? Here are some tell-tale signs you’re heading that way:

• You feel the need to remind people of your credentials
• You defend more than you discover
• You speak more than you listen
• Your identity is wrapped up in being “the expert”

The antidote? Stay in student mode.

As Einstein put it: “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

The Power of Not Knowing

Here’s the beautiful irony: The moment you embrace not knowing, real learning begins. Your brain literally becomes more receptive to new information. You start seeing opportunities instead of threats. Questions become more interesting than answers.

And here’s the kicker: people are more drawn to learn-it-alls than know-it-alls. Think about it. Would you rather work with someone who has all the answers or someone who’s curious enough to find new ones?

Finally

Real expertise is like gravity — it pulls people toward you without you having to announce its existence. The greatest experts I’ve ever met never once told me they were experts. They were too busy being curious, asking questions, and solving problems.

So the next time someone introduces themselves as an expert, remember: Those who know don’t tell, and those who tell often don’t know.

And if you’re ever tempted to declare your own expertise, try this instead: Stay curious. Ask questions. Embrace uncertainty. The moment you think you know everything is the moment you stop growing.

After all, in a world changing as fast as ours, being a learn-it-all beats being a know-it-all every single time.

Just ask Microsoft’s three trillion dollars.