Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about knowing how to unleash the best in your people.
If you’ve ever looked at someone on your team and thought, “They’re better than I am in this area…”—you’re not alone.
But here’s the truth most don’t say out loud:
Great leaders aren’t the smartest. They’re the most secure.
So how do you lead someone who knows more, solves problems faster, or has a deeper technical skillset than you?
1. Upgrade Your Mindset: Insecurity Kills Leadership
Let’s start here, because everything flows from mindset.
When you lead from insecurity, you’ll either compete with your team or shrink in your own role. Both are bad. Instead, lead from a belief that says, “My value isn’t in what I know—it’s in how I lead.”
Great leaders create clarity, build trust, and drive performance—not by knowing everything, but by empowering others to bring their best. That starts with confidence in your role and the humility to help others thrive in their.
2. Leverage Their Strength, Cross-Train Others
When someone on your team is especially strong in a certain area, don’t hoard them. Multiply their value.
Create space for them to teach, train, and mentor others. Encourage them to lead internal sessions, build playbooks, or lead debriefs after high-level wins. This not only reinforces their expertise but creates a culture where knowledge-sharing is the norm.
Cross-training means you’re delegating, empowering key people, spreading out knowledge, and honoring your experts.
3. Coach in What You Do Know
You may not be the expert in their area. But you’ve got expertise of your own.
You can still coach on how to manage conflict, build trust, think strategically, influence across departments, or manage time more effectively.
Coaching isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions and helping people think clearly. Your role is to develop people, not out-know them.
4. Care Deeply and Personally
This part isn’t tactical. It’s human.
People—especially high performers—don’t just want to be admired for their talent. They want to be known, valued, and respected.
Take time to understand what motivates them. Learn what they care about. Get curious about their career goals, their family, their vision for life. Speak up about how their work adds value.
Because at the end of the day, caring always wins.
People don’t leave companies. They leave managers who didn’t empower them.
Final Thought: You’re the Leader—Act Like It
Yes, someone on your team might be smarter than you in an area or two. Good! That means you’re building a team the right way.
But never forget:
Your leadership isn’t about knowing more, it’s about helping the team accomplish more.
Lead confidently. Stay humble. And know that if you care, empower, and coach, your team will follow…and win.
