He knows more about this than most people in the room. He knows it. What he wants is for you to know it too, and to show that you do. Vague praise does not do that. Specific attention does.
Practical Techniques
Be specific, not general
The Expert deflects broad compliments. A specific observation is harder to dismiss.
Say: “Your call on the Henderson project kept us out of a compliance problem. That was real.”
He can accept that. It is a fact, not an opinion. General praise (“you always know best”) sounds like surrender, not recognition.
Ask genuine questions
Ask about things you actually want to understand.
Say: “How would you approach this given your work on similar projects?”
He can tell the difference between a real question and a performance. Ask the real one. Thoughtful questions treat his knowledge as a resource, not a trophy.
Acknowledge before you counter
When you have a different view, name his point first.
Say: “That approach has worked well for years. I want to raise one thing that has changed.”
He hears the acknowledgment. Then he can hear the new information. Skip that step and he defends his position before you finish your sentence.
Why This Works
His expertise is part of who he is. It represents years of focused effort. When you acknowledge it with a specific observation, you make room for a conversation. He no longer needs to prove his value. He can focus on the problem instead.
Recognition Is Not Agreement
Acknowledging his expertise does not mean agreeing with every call. You can respect what he knows and still bring new information to the table. These are separate moves.