Too Many Smart People

You’d like to think that you can never have too many smart people, but you’d actually be wrong. Here’s why.

Most smart people know they’re smart, and most of them secretly believe that they’re smarter than everyone else in the room. Trust me, I’m a lawyer and I’ve spent my life amongst lawyers. But to be fair, I’ve spent enough time around doctors and software engineers and tax experts to know that lawyers have no monopoly.

On the other hand, there is simply nothing as exhilarating or productive as a bunch of smart people acting in concert to create something, or to solve a problem. Witness, for instance, the astonishing speed with which networked teams, spread around the globe, are cracking the code of the coronavirus or creating budget-priced ventilators with production ramping up virtually overnight.

The difference between a roomful of bright people wasting their time and annoying one another, and a roomful of bright people making the world a better place, is harmony. Let me explain.

Harmony in music occurs when the right set of notes, or pitches, are sounded at the same time. The opposite, that is when incorrect notes or pitches are sounded at the same time, is called discord. Harmonious notes complement one another, with one taking the lead and the rest making the lead sound beautiful. But when even one note is off-key, the whole effect sounds awkward, amateurish, and grating. If you’ve ever heard me try to play guitar, you know what I mean.

To some extent, a group can harmonize intuitively, particularly if they have naturally complementary aptitudes, and are agreed on the desired outcome. More often than not, however, some sheet music and a choirmaster are required.

Far too much professional talent is wasted and far too little professional profit is earned because the team isn’t harmonizing. Everybody wants to be a tenor, or the drummer is off in his own world. And, can anyone explain why we have that guy in the corner with a kazoo?

Is your team in harmony?