Smart people leadership

I used to do this during the early days of my John Maxwell leadership training and thought it was an original idea of mine because it was outside the official training manual. Little did I know that the highly regarded father of modern advertising, David Ogilvy, was doing it before me.

While I did it as a workshop activity, Ogilvy used it to onboard new managers by gifting them a set of Russian wooden dolls of decreasing sizes placed one inside another. He then told the recruits that if they hired those who were more intelligent than they were, they would become a company of giants, and if the people hired were not as skilled and smart as they were, they would become a company of the smallest.

Despite numerous logical and science-backed arguments supporting the notion that effective managers and leaders can hire and manage people smarter than themselves to build high-performing teams, many untrained leaders often feel intimidated and struggle to manage individuals they perceive as more intelligent.

Consider the following:

The distribution of expertise and knowledge

In the knowledge economy, expertise is widely distributed. To build a high-performing team or organization, it is crucial to recruit highly specialized technical talent with more knowledge in specific areas than your own. Hiring individuals with greater expertise is the most effective strategy for managers to enhance their knowledge and skills.

Steve Jobs said, “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.”

I frequently emphasize in my leadership talks and seminars that if you, as a leader, believe that you are the smartest person on your team simply because of your position, then you are either part of the wrong team or you need deeper training to overcome this unrealistic assumption. Smart people have a shorter learning curve
Smart people simply learn faster.

Considering that most jobs benefit from rapid learning and that people’s career prospects depend more on what they can learn rather than what they already know, one of the smartest moves managers can make is to hire intelligent individuals, including those who are smarter than themselves. Smart people know their own limitations
My observation and experience over the many years of training leaders indicate that many leaders would overestimate their capabilities, leading to avoidable mistakes, underperformance and the demoralization of their teams.

While it may be easier to manage people who think they are smart but are not, the end result of their performance may cost a lot. Really smart people are aware of their own limitations, and this becomes a key component in developing new skills and avoiding unnecessary risks and mistakes as they become more competent. Competence is always preferred over confidence in this case.

Managers may feel threatened by intelligent workers, particularly when they perceive themselves as less capable or when insecurities or imposter syndrome hinder their confidence. As a result, managers often prefer to hire individuals based on social or people skills, believing it will minimize conflicts. However, this approach can compromise the team’s future performance, as too much emphasis on harmony can obstruct progress. This issue may go unnoticed in organizations or cultures that do not prioritize performance. Additionally, managers tend to hire people who resemble themselves and label them as “high-potential” employees or successors. This reflects a subtle form of narcissism, where they take pride in having a “mini-me” on their team and view them as the most brilliant members.

Thus, the Russian Doll illustrates an important exercise.

It is a leadership skill for managers to be able to motivate their smart people and set aside their personal agendas and egos to collaborate effectively with others. This act of turning a group of people into a high-performing team is the fundamental function of leadership.

As a leader, you might want to consider the following approaches to leading the smart people in your team:

Foster a climate of psychological safety to leverage team members’ expertise, intelligence, experience and skills. This allows them to freely express their views and opinions. Underutilized or wasted talent is detrimental to teams.

Smart people may have supersized egos, too, so you need to manage their egos as needed. Remind them that effective collaboration and team performance are paramount, regardless of their individual skills and intelligence. Balance making your talented employees feel valued with avoiding the tendency for them to develop a diva complex or a strong sense of entitlement, which can undermine team morale.

Develop them. No matter how skilled or talented your employees are, it is your responsibility to help them enhance their abilities, develop their potential and acquire new skills.

Attract, hire and retain people who are smarter than you. If not, you might have a team of “mini-mes,” and this does not do the organization any good.

Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.