Being a leader is tough since you have to control different people working within a team. You also need to look after their relationship with one another as it affects their performance. Things are even more difficult for you if you are handling a team of smart and brilliant individuals who already have years of experiences in doing the job assigned to them. You worry that they will be too difficult to control, and the team will be a huge mess. These tips will help you as a leader in handling a bunch of smart people.
Talk to them individually
You need to speak with everyone even before you start running the team. Establish a good relationship so that when you are in the big group, it is easy to manage those people. You can look at them, and they will stop fighting with each other. You also need to show that you are the leader, and you know what you are doing.
Be humble
These smart people will most likely outsmart each other during meetings and brainstorming sessions. It might be a terrible thing, but it could also lead to something great, depending on how you manage the discussion. Perhaps, you can make the most of the heated debates to come up with great ideas. The point is that when everyone else is trying to outdo each other, you cannot join the race. You need to be humble and try to control everyone’s emotions. You also need to recognise smart ideas and give credit where due. If you are humble enough as a leader, it will be easier for you to handle the team.
Do not humiliate your employees
When you face smart people, the last thing they want is to feel embarrassed in front of others. They might decide to quit their job right away. You can disagree and point out your ideas, but you need to do it in the right way. If you start humiliating people and make them feel dumb, you will be pushing them out of the door. These people know their capabilities, and they are confident that if they resign, it will be easy for them to find a new job elsewhere.
Set rules
Having a meeting or discussion of ideas with a bunch of smart people could be a challenging job. Everyone has something to say, and the debate could go on forever. If you want to avoid drama, you need to be clear about the rules right from the start. Tell everyone what to expect during the meeting and how you will manage conflicts if they arise. Everyone needs to agree with these rules and follow them from that point onwards.
For instance, if you are discussing banner design ideas for a marketing campaign, you need to set rules on how to present ideas and point out issues. You want your employees to showcase their opinions, but also learn to respect those of others. You can also present some quality examples like the ones at so that they will feel inspired to work.
It is a challenge handling such a team, but you can do it.
