自信比聪明更重要

    MPW内部网络是一个商界大腕及时解答关于职业与领导力问题的线上社区。今天的问题是“在职业生涯中，聪明和自信哪个更重要？”由怀斯曼集团（Wiseman Group）的总裁利兹•怀斯曼作答。

    自信更重要。但不是替代聪明的自信，而是对自身聪明才智的自信。

    为什么？因为那些徒有聪明而缺乏安全感的人士，存在一个大问题。他们必须当一群人里最聪明的那个，这意味着他们身边的人不得不变笨。这种人扼杀创意、削弱活力，最擅长扑灭创新的火苗。诸位可能已经与这种“聪明”人共过事，所以大家都知道，身边有这种人特别讨厌，有这种上司更是令人心力交瘁。

    我们希望这种专业人士最好别进入管理层。假如他们成为管理者，最终整个团队都会被他们毁掉。他们执着于自己的智慧和创意，往往出现一言堂的现象。他们提出解决办法，事无巨细都亲自过问，而且一旦遇到挫折，或者出现不好的迹象，他们通常立马就跳了出来。我的研究[我的著作《增值宝典》（Multipliers）即源自于该研究）表明，有这种日益少见的领导者，下属只能发挥不到一半的才智和能力。换言之，他们身边人的才华白白浪费了。

    最棒的领导者，是那些对自身聪明才智足够自信、能专注于自己团队的领导者。这类领导者将自身智慧用于放大身边人的智慧和能力。这类领导者一来，灯光熄灭，大家思路如泉涌，问题迎刃而解。这类领导者是倍增器，激发员工尽最大努力，取得超出预期的结果。他们不仅使才智得以施展，而且使身边人的智慧得到增长。

    因此，不要仅仅满足于做聪明人。对自身的智慧以及你团队的才智充满信心吧。当你每天去上班时，相信自己团队都是聪明人，能解决问题，他们将拿出最好的想法、做出最大的努力。你将带领一支有条不紊的团队，满怀信心地承担起组织中最具挑战性的工作。（财富中文网）

    这才是真聪明。

    译者：Hunter

    审：李翔

    MPW Insider is one of several online communities where the biggest names in business answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: Career-wise, is it more important to be smart or confident? is written by Liz Wiseman, President of Wiseman Group.

    Confidence. But, not confidence in lieu of smarts – confidence in one’s intelligence.

    Why? Because there’s a big problem with people who are smart but insecure. Their need to be the smartest person in the room means that others have to dumb down around them. They are idea killers, energy sappers, and wet blankets on the sparks of innovation. You’ve probably worked with these “brilliant” people so you know that they are a drag to be around and draining to work for.

    Our best hope for these professionals is that they don’t go into management. When they do, they end up sucking the life out of a team. Fixated on their own intelligence and ideas, they tend to do all the talking. They prescribe solutions, micromanage, and usually end up jumping in at the first setback or sign of distress. My research (that led to the book Multipliers) shows that these diminishing leaders get less than half of the available intelligence and capability of others. In other words, around them, the intelligence of others lays wasted.

    The best leaders are those who are confident enough in their own intelligence that they can focus on their team. These leaders use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them. When these leaders walk into a room, light bulbs go off, ideas flow, and problems get solved. These leaders are multipliers who inspire employees to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations. They not only unleash intelligence, they grow talent around them.

    So, don’t just settle for being smart. Be confident – both in your own intelligence and in the brilliance of your team. When you show up to work every day believing your people are smart and capable of figuring things out, they will give you their best thinking and best work. You’ll lead a team that can act with reason and confidently take on the organization’s toughest challenges.

    Now, that is truly smart.