Start Listening to Burnish Your Reputation as a Trusted Adviser

You know what’s crazy? The key to getting people to think you’re smart is to stop talking and to start listening. Let me share a little story to demonstrate.

Recently, I attended a dinner party with my friend and colleague Dan Solin. We were in a group of 12 sitting at a rather large table. Dan was at one end sitting directly across from a management consultant. During most of the dinner, they were engaged in a rather animated discussion. I was sitting next to them, and I couldn’t help but notice that almost every sentence out of Dan’s mouth ended with a question mark.

Read the rest of the article on The New York Times.