Surround Yourself with People Smarter Than You

Some of the worst examples of leadership I’ve seen over the course of my career have been provided by people who seemed to feel that being the leader had to mean being the smartest person in the room at all times – and, if they weren’t the smartest person in the room, making sure that the smarter people were kept quiet so that they wouldn’t show the leader up.

Obviously, such a mindset is deeply counterproductive in leaders, and can lead to severe organizational dysfunction (not to mention very unhappy employees). 

The good news about bad examples is that if you’re willing to learn from them (rather than just succumb to frustration and resentment) they can teach you a great deal. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from examples of toxic or ineffective leadership is the importance of letting other people be smarter than you.

It’s not just a matter of recognizing that other people in the organization have specific knowledge and skillsets that you don’t have. Even the most narcissistic and self-regarding leader will usually acknowledge that his IT director understands network administration better than he does, or that his senior cataloger has a superior understanding of name authority rules. More than that, it’s about recognizing that no matter how smart and how talented you may be, there are people in your organization who are smarter and more talented – and being willing (or, even better, eager) to give them room to move and space to shine. 

Now, please note: “giving them room to move and space to shine” does not mean failing to hold smart people accountable for their work and their at-work behavior, nor does it mean giving them a pass on adhering to policy, or making everyone else change their practices or workflows to accommodate them. Some things that it does mean include:

• Looking for chances to put them in the spotlight. Do you have someone in your library who is exceptionally good at data analysis? Instead of just asking for data that you can bring to your next meeting with the provost, bring your analyst to the meeting instead and have her share some particularly important insights about trends in the library. If a reporter calls to ask you questions about a multimillion-dollar gift that was recently announced, encourage him to talk to the exceptional development person who did all the work rather than to you. When you run into the university president at an event and she congratulates you on the library’s recent rise in national rankings, don’t just say “We have a great team”; give her two or three specific examples of work done by exceptional people in your organization that contributed directly to that change in ranking, identifying those people by name. And so forth.
• Watching for signs of particular talent among your staff, and looking for ways to let them use it. There are few things more exhilarating than being given free rein to do something you’re really good at, and leaders who provide those opportunities will command both respect and loyalty from the people they lead. More importantly, they will have provided the employee a chance for growth and development and the organization a chance to benefit more fully from that employee’s talent. Have you noticed someone in your library who is a particularly good strategic thinker? Put her in charge of a renovation project. Is there someone who seems particularly good at dealing with difficult people? Put him at the head of a task force charged with investigating ways to improve library morale.
• Expressing sincere, detailed appreciation for the unusual talents and skills shown by the people you lead. In an earlier post, I mentioned that while it’s always good for people to hear general words of encouragement from their leader (“You’re the best!” “Thanks for all you do!”), what’s even better is for them to hear words of encouragement and appreciation that demonstrate the leader’s attention to their work:
  • “You nailed that presentation yesterday. Thanks very much – you made the whole library look good.”
  • “I really appreciated your insightful comments in yesterday’s meeting about the remote work policy. I’m going to be discussing your ideas with my leadership team and will probably be getting back to you with some follow-up questions.”
  • “Your supervisor tells me that you fixed some longstanding issues with the withdrawal workflow in Acquisitions – I’m so glad you’re there and grateful for the difference you’re making.”

Wise leaders not only recognize the superior intelligence and talent of others in their organizations; they also openly acknowledge it and look for ways to encourage its full expression for the benefit of the library organization and its patrons.

Takeaways and Action Items

• The leader is not necessarily the smartest or most gifted person in the organization, nor should s/he want or expect to be. Instead, focus on what you can do as a leader to provide opportunities for those who are smarter and more gifted than you.
• Look around you in your organization: who is particularly smart and gifted, either generally or in very specific areas? Ask yourself what you can do to provide more opportunities for them to express those gifts.
• Ask yourself how you respond when you’re in a meeting that includes someone who is obviously smarter than you. Is there a part of you that gets a bit irritated? What will you do about that?