Smartest Person in the Room

While revisiting some old blog post from years ago, I came across this one with which, unfortunately it seems, many leaders still struggle.

Steve Jobs was quoted as saying "It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do."

Jack Welch also said "I was never the smartest guy in the room. From the first person I hired, I was never the smartest guy in the room. And that's a big deal. And if you're going to be a leader - if you're a leader and you're the smartest guy in the world - in the room, you've got real problems."

No matter what level of management we’re at, be it front line supervisor, department manager, director, vice-president or CEO, as leaders of people we have all been faced with interviewing and hiring someone smarter than us. That woman or man that is head and shoulders above us in intellect in some or all areas. It can be an intimidating situation. And, unfortunately for many leaders, their first instinct is to not hire this person. What can I offer them as a leader? Can I keep them interested and challenged? Will I be placing myself, my position, in jeopardy?

The key in this situation is to not let intimidation drive your hiring decision. From a company perspective, we should always strive to hire the most capable person for a position. Look to hire that individual that offers the most potential for the organization. And you should never downplay the value that your experience, your successes and failures, brings to a new hire. A new employee may be brighter than you are in some particular area, but may lack in some practical aspects of their position. The wisdom of your experience may be precisely what they need to grow in their career. A truly bright and motivated employee will also find ways to make their work interesting and challenging or they will push you to find ways to help them find this satisfaction.

The truth is that placing smarter people around you is a great strategic move, one that can pay you dividends as a manager. It allows you to accomplish more within your staffing constraints while giving you the opportunity to learn and grow from your staff. And it will make you look more astute to your management. Hiring the brightest, most capable staff makes you look smarter. By not being the smartest person in the room, you can end up becoming the smartest person in the room.