Craft Titans, Master Networkers' Hidden Struggle for Corporate Power

Aug 25 , 2024
By Tigabu Haile

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In the array of intellect constituting the business and professional realms, we can uncover three broad strata of individuals. There are the socially adept, the intellectual giants, and the mainstream, although occasionally, someone could straddle the socially inclined and genius categories. Blessed with social acumen and those imbued with intellectual prowess, these individuals represent a rarity.

Individuals who possess what could be termed 'social radars' are adept at reading others, skilled in managing intertwining interpersonal relations. They can engage anyone in riveting conversation.

Their ease often propels them towards marketing, sales, event planning and related fields. Such individuals subscribe to marketing's procession over other operational or technical considerations and risk overstating their role in team successes, a bias that can be attributed to what is known as "ownership bias." This bias reflects the tendency to prioritise and overvalue the skills, tasks, and roles that we engage in simply because we are more familiar with them. Their orientation is externally focused, which leads them to be active on media platforms and speaking circuits, continuously promoting their achievement and ability.

On the other end of the spectrum lurk the "genius", the intellectual giants. These are the consummate professionals whose technical and operational brilliance surpasses their social tact. They seldom surface in the public eye, preferring instead to toil behind the scenes, strengthening their team and honing their craft. However, their social skills can be lacking, and they may come across as socially awkward or even insensitive to others' emotions, making those around them uncomfortable. To them, excellence in work is the master key to success, considering marketing and sales secondary. Their brands outshine them, in contrast to the socially adept who outshine their brands.

The relationship between these two types of individuals can be highly productive if managed wisely. A successful company requires both a social radar's marketing prowess and a genius's operational excellence. Together, they can create a powerful synergy that drives success. However, this partnership cannot be without potential conflicts. In the absence of clear communications, well-defined roles, and an established decision-making process, the partnership is likely to dissolve. The parties may become convinced that their contribution is more critical than the other's, an understandable belief given the "ownership bias" that could evolve into greed if left unchecked.

To make such partnerships work, social radars could acknowledge and credit the contributions of their genius partners during public exposure. This not only promotes goodwill but also ensures that the genius feels valued for their work, which often goes unnoticed in the public eye. Conversely, geniuses could avoid making assumptions about the balance of work and instead communicate openly about any perceived imbalances in workload, credit, or compensation. Such conversations should happen early in the partnership, before resentment builds and the relationship deteriorates beyond repair.

While it is true that both social radars and geniuses could achieve success independently, the strength of their partnerships is often essential for building large organisations and accomplishing great things.

A key question in such partnerships is who should take on the CEO role. While conventional wisdom might suggest that a social radar is better suited for this role, given its people skills and public visibility, there is an argument to be made for the genius taking the helm. The genius's focus on operational excellence can be a more forceful driver of long-term success, especially in industries where the quality of the product or service is important. However, the issue may depend on the specific context of the business.

Ultimately, neither social radars nor geniuses are inherently right or wrong. Both approaches are valuable and necessary. What matters most is recognising our strengths, understanding where we excel, and embracing that reality. Success is not about fitting into a particular mold but about leveraging unique skills to create value and achieve our goals. Knowing the self and playing to our strengths is essential, whether a social radar or a genius.

Social radars often achieve greater short-term recognition and success due to their ability to steer social dynamics and promote themselves effectively. The genius category may struggle initially, as it takes time for people to recognise their excellence and to get accustomed to their idiosyncrasies. In the long haul, though, the geniuses often "rule the world." While they may not dominate social media or television screens, they are the ones who control the platforms, goods, and services that shape our daily lives.

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PUBLISHED ON Aug 25,2024 [ VOL 25 , NO 1269]

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