The people who really made it rarely talk down to anyone.

Condescension is usually a sign of insecurity about a position rather than proof of holding one. Somebody genuinely established has nothing to establish inside a conversation, so they can be curious, ask basic questions, and treat the person stocking shelves the same as the person running the room. Anyone who needs you to know where you rank is still working on believing it themselves.

Use this as a reading this week. Watch how people treat whoever has the least power in the room. That tells you more about who to learn from than any title does.