First a quote: “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting tomatoes in a fruit salad.” ― Miles Kington
Hello and happy Monday.
As a leader, it is wise to surround yourself with the “best & brightest ” people possible. I propose your goal should be to attract, recruit, and hire the best talent available. The quality of people on your team should be a competitive advantage. It makes sense then, that you would want to create an environment where the “best & brightest” would want to be on your team; where they too have a desire to work with you, as opposed to working for you.
If you agree with this philosophical approach to leadership, then the questions become, “Are you leading in a way that attracts the best & brightest? Do smart people want to work for you or, do they have to work for you?”
Please note, I’m not asking if the best, most intelligent people want to work in your industry, or for your company, I’m asking about your personal approach to leadership. Does your leadership style attract, or repel, the best people? How do you know?
It should be obvious the most talented people almost always have the most employment/career options and rarely “have to” work for a “less than ideal” leader, much less a jerk, self-centered, or egotistical manager.
“It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.” - Warren Buffett
My focus this morning, however, is on the opposite side of the same coin.
What if you are one of the “best & brightest” in the company? What if you are fortunate enough to be one of the smartest people in the room, or on the team? If so, I ask you similar questions: “Do people want to work with you? Do you behave in ways that attract people, or perhaps repels them? Do people ‘get to’ work with you, or do they ‘have to’ work with you?”
Personally, I have made it a priority to seek out people who are smarter than myself. (That is usually not much of a challenge as I rarely see myself as the sharpest crayon in the box.) Working with the best, most intelligent people, often provides me with an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to get better at what I do.
Working, and associating with intellectually superior people can be like having my own private professors. This, of course, assumes those people are willing to share their knowledge and brilliance. It helps if they are also humble, patient, understanding, and demonstrate a desire to teach and to help others learn and grow.
Occasionally, you’ll bump into a person or two, a small percentage of the truly intelligent, who suffer from what I’ll describe as the “Curse of the Brilliant.” The individuals afflicted by this curse may truly be the smartest people in the room.
However, a few also spend a great deal of time and effort making sure everyone is aware of their brilliance. It almost feels as if they must continually prove their superiority by reducing or diminishing the value of others.
Their attitude tends to undermine a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Not only does the team not appreciate or value their brilliance, but they also begin to resent their ideas and contributions to the team.
My suggested remedies for the curse:
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Instead of using brilliance to illuminate the intelligence gaps in others, that same brilliance can be used to shine a light on the strengths of others.Everyone has gifts; help others leverage their strengths, help others feel important about what they bring to the table.
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Know your audience. Speak at their level, use stories and metaphors for stronger connections.
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When disagreeing with others, there is no reason to “make them wrong” in the process.
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Be patient and encouraging when helping others learn, grow and understand your perspectives.
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Use a lesson I learned from our son’s high school basketball coach which was: “Let your game speak for itself.” There is no need, and rarely a benefit for self-promotion.
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Develop your reputation as a teacher, mentor, and supporter of others.
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Practice a leadership style described by my friend Kris Olson as “humble confidence.”
In the big picture, does it really matter to most people if a tomato is fruit or vegetable?
How will you live, love, or lead, differently, or better, this week?
Bonus Quotes Below.
Have a great week!!
Bryan Yager
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
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Bonus Quotes:
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“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” – Albert Einstein
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“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience .” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
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“Unintelligent people always look for a scapegoat.” – Ernest Bevin
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“It is great cleverness to know how to conceal one’s cleverness.” – Francois de La Rochefoucauld
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“Intelligence is the effort to do the best you can at your particular job; the quality that gives dignity to that job, whether it happens to be scrubbing a floor or running a corporation.” – James C. Penney
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“When you hire people who are smarter that you are, you prove you are smarter than they are .” – R.H. Grant
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“Not many men have both good fortune and good sense .” - Levy
