Chris Gardner Quotes

If there's any secret to my success, it's that I just hire people who are smarter and more talented than I am.

I value my staff and I believe in hiring people who are smarter than myself.

I'm proud that I've been able to attract an incredible team to work with me.

I always make sure I hire people smarter than me.

As a designer, design director or any creative person, you have to hire great people, support them and make them feel comfortable so they can contribute and give you their best.

My philosophy is to always find the smartest people you can. Hire people smarter than you.

My gift, if I have one, is choosing terrific talent and providing the atmosphere for them to do their best work.

In order to build a great technology company, you have to hire lots of incredibly smart people. It's a total waste to have lots of big brains but not let them work on your biggest problems.

Hire the best people, and trust what you hired them to do.

I think I just pick really smart and motivated people to work with - people who are probably going to do great things anyway - and I just teach them what I know, maybe teach them how to think a little clearer than they did before, and then off they go.

It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.

Successful business leaders who have helped build institutions of lasting value - all are committed to talent and a culture of excellence. This is usually accomplished by the identification, retention, and development of great people.

I love building a team around me, and being able to support a group of people is one of the best feelings I've come to know during my career; I imagine this is what a lot of business owners can relate to this.

Not a manager or an executive yet? It's not too early to practice. Many companies are always looking for people to volunteer to help coordinate happy hours, onboard new employees, or plan the holiday party.

Honestly, my secret is I pick really, really good people around me.

My driving force in this business is to create and build great men, and to do that, you have to have great relationships.

An intelligent person hires people who are more intelligent than he is.

If you ever find a man who is better than you are - hire him. If necessary, pay him more than you pay yourself.

I have surrounded myself with very smart people.

I've always surrounded myself with talented people, both in film and in business.

The best way to be productive is to have a great team. So I spend more time than most CEOs on human resources. That's 20 percent of my week.

Hire people who are smarter than you, and don't be afraid to work with them as partners. Make it clear that you plan to learn from them, not just the other way around. The right, smart, motivated people respond very well to that approach, particularly coming from a younger manager like I am.

I always want to have a personal relationship with everybody that works for me.

People say the most important thing is building a world-class team.

Really in technology, it's about the people, getting the best people, retaining them, nurturing a creative environment and helping to find a way to innovate.