The Art of Leading a Team Smarter Than You

Mastering leadership when your team outshines you in expertise.

As a tech company founder and CEO with a background in architecture, I’ve had to learn how to effectively lead a team of experts in fields I’m not proficient in, such as software development. My journey from designing buildings to building a tech business has taught me invaluable lessons in leadership and collaboration.

1. Trust your team’s expertise

Trust is one of the most critical aspects of leading a team with more specialized knowledge than you. Trust your team members as experts in their respective fields and rely on their knowledge and skills. Early in my company’s journey, I hired highly skilled developers and engineers because I knew they had the technical expertise I lacked. I didn’t need to know how to write code; I needed to trust that they did and would execute their tasks effectively.

Trust fosters a positive work environment where team members feel valued and empowered. It encourages them to take ownership of their work and deliver their best performance. You can build a strong, cohesive team committed to the company’s goals by showing confidence in their abilities.

2. Ask questions to make informed decisions

While trust is essential, understanding enough about the subject matter to make informed business decisions is equally important. Asking lots of questions is a powerful way to bridge the knowledge gap. I would regularly ask my developers to explain the technical aspects of their work in layman’s terms. This not only helped me grasp the basics but also allowed me to understand the implications of their technical choices on the business.

When my team suggested transitioning to a new programming language, I asked detailed questions about the benefits, potential risks, and how it would impact our project timelines. This enabled me to weigh the pros and cons and decide what aligned with our business objectives. Asking questions demonstrates your commitment to understanding the work and making thoughtful decisions.

3. Learn continuously and appreciate the complexities

To lead effectively, it’s essential to immerse yourself in continuous learning and appreciate the complexities and challenges your team faces. I dedicated time to learning the basics of coding — not to become an expert, but to better understand the language my team spoke and the problems they encountered. This effort helped me empathize with their challenges and gave me a clearer perspective on the technical hurdles we needed to overcome.

Attending industry conferences, reading relevant literature, and participating in workshops are great ways to stay updated and deepen your understanding. Showing your team you are willing to learn and grow alongside them can significantly boost morale and respect.

4. Collaborate on business challenges

Collaboration is crucial when navigating business challenges. In my role, I made it a point to explain the business challenges and decisions I faced to my team. This transparency fostered a collaborative environment where everyone felt involved in the problem-solving process.

During a period of rapid growth, we needed to scale our infrastructure quickly. I gathered the team to discuss the business implications, including budget constraints and time pressures. We could collectively brainstorm and identify the most viable solutions by involving them in these discussions. Their technical insights, combined with my business perspective, led to more informed and effective decisions.

5. Trust your leadership skills

Lastly, trust yourself and your ability to lead, even when you don’t know all the details. Leadership is not about having all the answers but about guiding the team toward a common goal. Your role is to provide vision, make strategic decisions, and support your team in executing their tasks.

Given my architectural background, there were times when I needed to improve my ability to lead a tech company. However, I realized that my strength lay in my leadership skills — communicating a clear vision, building a strong team, and making strategic decisions. By trusting these skills, I could steer the company through challenges and success.

Leading a team that knows more than you in specific areas can be daunting, but it is also a tremendous opportunity for growth. By trusting your team, asking questions, learning continuously, collaborating, and trusting your leadership skills, you can effectively guide your company to success.