Company Blog

Smart vs Wise

by Adam Zack — May 13, 2026

“The smartest leaders aren’t the smartest people in the room. They’re the ones smart enough to hire people who are.”

Some of the smartest people I’ve ever met are also some of the dumbest. I realize that sounds like either an oxymoron…or just a statement from a moron. I’ve known people who could solve mathematical problems that completely stagger my mind, but couldn’t microwave a potato for dinner if their life depended on it. I’ve met brilliant attorneys who can quote laws and legal precedents at will, yet somehow make personal and business decisions that leave them spinning their wheels for years. I’ve seen computer programmers build incredibly efficient systems and networks, but when asked to apply that brilliance to the real world of grocery retail, they flail around like a shopper looking for the ketchup in aisle nine while standing in aisle two. Over the years, I’ve become convinced that the smartest leaders usually aren’t the smartest people in the room. The smartest leaders are the ones smart enough to surround themselves with people who are smarter than they are.

At first glance, that might seem unfair. The team does the heavy lifting, solves the problems, creates the ideas, and somehow the leader gets the credit. But real leadership isn’t about pretending to know everything. It’s about wisdom, and wisdom is very different from intelligence. Wisdom is making good decisions, learning from mistakes, and having the instincts to know when to push forward, when to pivot, and when to simply get out of the way. The best leaders I know ask for help constantly because they understand that pride is expensive and time really is money. In the food business especially, great companies aren’t built by one genius. They’re built by talented people moving in the same direction, each bringing different strengths to the table. The smartest choice a leader can make is recognizing they don’t have all the answers. And honestly, that’s probably what got you where you are today.