Would you hire someone smarter than you ? :))

One of the oft repeated mantras in management lore that I come across is hiring/surrounding yourself with people smarter than you. My personal experience in this has been somewhat ambivalent and inconclusive.

I have had people with me who climbed the corporate ladder faster than me plus there are others who are languishing more or less where they were when I left. :) I cannot claim to have made any conscious decisions towards encircling myself with brighter people than me.

 So ....... let us look at others .....

When I was a relative junior in the organization a valid query from me regarding Database design along with a viable solution was rejected by a senior person ....  I was puzzled by it at that time but came to the conclusion that there must be a very valid reason for the dismissal of my inputs.  It made the code a little messier in my opinion so I could not help wondering why that individual did not see it fit to tell me the reason. ( And yes I did ask in person too !! :)) Since when have I stopped asking questions ? :)) )

Contrast this to another boss who was also high up in the corporate hierarchy but always found time to answer my queries (plus that of my team mates ); especially those insights gained through experience. We were exposed to quick bytes of wisdom ( and justified rebukes too ! :) ) through out the working relationship. This person collaborated with people who were technically more brilliant and yet did not feel intimidated nor were the inexperienced people in the group treated in a cavalier way for the many "dumb" questions.

Needless to say - working for the second person was much more fun and there was hardly anyone who found it difficult to go the extra mile when deadlines loomed !! :)

So my musing is this - Exactly what kind of person can hire other people around him/her who are more sharp, talented and clever than himself / herself ?  Someone --

• who is articulate ? ( May be my boss could not tell me why my design was wrong ! It is one thing to know and another to explain ! )
• who is secure ? Security not based on position / title alone. ( Think of the number of  CEOs sacked so unceremoniously ?? ;) ).
• who enjoys learning
• who knows he/she is employable ( even if the recession bites ! )
• And someone who is office-politics-savvy if he/she is gunning for that promotion while being surrounded by exceptional people and actually wants to keep them happy too !!!! :))