Smart Emmanuel: How to Lead Super Talented Employees & Team Members 

For many people, leadership is easier when they’re the most intelligent person in the room or the most experienced person who has answers to tough questions. That is because people follow you easily when you are seen as the messiah, mentor, and solution provider. But in reality, this is counterproductive and will not necessarily translate to the achievement of goals. That is because you need to be surrounded by smart and audacious people for your organisation to succeed. It doesn’t end there, you also have to learn to step back sometimes and watch your team put their intelligence into use. But ego is the enemy of many leaders, and many cannot afford to see their team member ‘outshine’ them. And that is what makes leadership tough for them.

As a leader, many of your team members will be ambitious. Dreaming is free, and for many people, these dreams will most likely end up as just dreams and ambitions. However, the ambition and dream of a super-talented team member are real; they go for it with a sense of purpose, and this gets a lot of leaders worried. They feel threatened and become competitive, so they fall into the temptation of suppressing super-talented team members, thinking they are removing the threat. Some leaders in smaller companies even underpay smart and super-talented employees; a cynical move to ensure they never have enough money to compete. To adjust to all the drama, some employees and team members pretend to be less smart while planning their exit; it’s tough to manage a boss or leader that’s battling with low self-esteem.

As a leader, if you desire to achieve your goals and live a lasting legacy, you must learn to lead super-talented people and help your average team members become highly skilled. Imagine how much profit is lost because you were comfortable being the smartest in the room. Meanwhile, your competitors may not have an ego problem and they use their best team members to win. Knowing you could have won but didn’t because of your ego would hurt your ego more than allowing others to shine. Here are some tips that will help you lead super starts successfully:

You must understand that you need them. Smart leaders surround themselves with the smartest people they can find, and they get out of their way.

You need to give them room to fly so they can achieve their personal goals. They may desire to also be a lead someday, or hold higher positions. The super-talented person in your team may not stay with you forever, but for the period you’re privileged to have them, create a world that allows them to grow and express themselves. The team and vision must keep expanding so new leaders can emerge.

Every win under your leadership is yours but you must give credit to whom credit is due. Without your leadership, it won’t have happened, so be generous with giving credit for the individual contributions of your team members. A sports team may win a trophy because they have a great player, but the coach played a key role in attracting, mentoring, and keeping the player. Be comfortable with giving credit; it’s also your win as the team lead.

Create a culture in which the best ideas win. Your favourite team member may have a different idea, but if the best idea comes from the team member you don’t like very much, it should also be taken. It is in the interest of you, your favourite team member, and the entire team that the best ideas are executed so the overall team goal is achieved.

Envy is real in teams, but put it in check. Create a culture where the best team members teach others so everyone becomes successful. Your average team member should see a future for himself or herself. This will help them see the super-talented team members as allies, not enemies.

It is unwise to go to war and refuse to use your best weapons because of your ego, but even the most talented people must be taught to understand that the team comes first. This means they must be team players and be made to understand that they aren’t above anyone else.

***

Feature Image by Edmond Dantà for Pexels