the problem with sharp minds is that they tend to get stuck where blunter ones don't
my smartest colleagues tend to be a bit... dumber, in practical terms. they prod just a bit too deep into the wrong questions, empowered to do so by their intellect; they get stuck trying to solve irrelevant difficult problems. the more normal ones, however, cleverly avoid this.
when faced with a too-difficult problem, they try to route around it, all too aware of their limitations. this is usually the right answer, as the difficult thing is rarely the right thing to do. descending the ease gradient often leads us to a passable solution.
the smarties are invaluable in that 1% of situations where the difficult approach is the right one; you can't teach someone how to be smarter, but you can teach them how to be more clever.
staffing an organization is a balancing act between intelligence and practicality.
