Steve Jobs said, “It makes no sense to hire smart people then tell them what to do. We hire smart people for them to tell us what to do.”
A good boss hires people who are smarter than him so that they can make him shine. Hire smart brains, take a back seat and let them make you shine.
The moment you hire smart people, then force them to do what you want, it is your mediocrity that will thrive and your business will suffer.
Smart people love bosses who are in control, not controlling bosses. Have the best talents and give them room to display their talents and creativity.
Small businesses in Kenya fail en masse because their owners, hire smarter people than them, then feel threatened by them. They then start fighting their own employees. What a shame.
Now, there are three ways to make smart people make you shine as the boss:
Give them room to be creative: outline deliverables to them and let them implement them as you monitor. Do not dictate. Give them room to show you what they have.
Make them feel part of the business: human beings deliver more when they feel part of something. Let your smart brains feel they have a stake in your business and see the magic in terms of delivering to you.
Share credit: the business is yours. Yes. Everybody knows that. But when you succeed, let those who helped you along the way be part of the credit. Acknowledge them. Thank them.
It is important to note that businesses thrive on trust. Trust is the only invisible currency that every business is anchored on. They say, people, buy people. People don’t buy products and services. They buy trust.
Hire the smartest people in the room. Hire people who are smarter than you. And let them make you proud.
