“It’s all about finding and hiring people smarter than you. Getting them to join your business. And giving them good work. Then getting out of their way. And trusting them. You have to get out of the way so YOU can focus on the bigger vision. That’s important. And here’s the main thing….you must make them see their work as a MISSION.”
-Richard Branson
As leader, you have a vision. Hiring people smarter than you to do the work is where you need to take your business. Telling your employees what your vision is and giving them the work to be done needs you to step back and leave your employees alone to generate creative solutions. This allows you to get back to focus on your vision.
Surrounding yourself with people smarter than you are is how business leaders stay on top and your success keeps going. In theory, the people who are smarter than you are genius. These individuals get things accomplished in big ways. The phrase, “hire someone smarter than yourself” means you are looking for someone with a higher degree of skill and/or talent in an area you are trying to staff. Sometimes you may find an introvert or ambivert who is extremely intelligent yet does not tout it in their personality.
Hiring People Smarter than You
Hiring the right employees is such a critical process for all business. “All too often, inexperienced managers will avoid hiring people who are smarter than they are,” says Spencer Rascoff, the CEO of online real estate site Zillow.
Clever, skilled employees require less management, constantly teach you new things, and shore up your weaknesses. Rewire yourself to reap the benefits of a team of super-achievers without suffering self-esteem erosion.
Your creative employees can make decisions on their own to demonstrate the confidence and capability leaders trust them with. Creative employees bring ideas and solutions with them. These employees embrace company culture. One of the most important aspects of being a leader is hiring people smarter than you.
“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood, sweat, and tears.”
-Simon Sinek
“Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.” -David Ogilvy
Know Your Strengths
“Sometimes, the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine on standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.” – Diane Ravitch
You’re smart, very intelligent and you have great ideas. How to create and produce your ideas is the reason you hire smarter people than yourself. If you hired people just like you nothing much if at all would get done. Understand your own strengths, weaknesses and be willing to put your ego aside.
It’s not all about who’s smarter in terms of IQ points. It’s a matter of hiring people who are creative and innovative. They are experienced in producing breakthrough results.
When surrounded by smart people, your first impulse may be to hide your ignorance. With this in mind, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask thought-provoking questions to allow your employees to take your idea and make it a great breakthrough. Foster your own strengths by sharpening them with smarter skills.
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” – Steve Jobs
Reduction in Micromanagement
When you hire people smarter than you there is a significant decrease in managing them at all. These employees are given the task or assignment and you need to trust them to do what they do best. You hired them to do the job, let them do it. They do not need to be led to reach solutions to the problems, challenges and difficulties they are given. Smart employees learn quickly to what they need to do.
Let Go of Your Ego
Warren Buffet said it best when he said “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.”
The old saying “You become the people you spend the most time with,” is an important principle to leverage in the workplace. With this in mind, does it make sense for you to surround yourself with smart people? Don’t Be Afraid to Hire People Smarter Than You
“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” – Rosalynn Carter