Goldman Sachs CEO: "Smart Enough" Trumps "Smartest" in Hiring

• Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon prioritizes candidates who are "smart enough" and possess essential life skills over purely intellectual brilliance.
• Solomon believes intellectual brilliance alone isn't a reliable indicator of sustained performance in high-pressure environments.
• He emphasizes resilience, judgment, adaptability, and real-world experience as critical qualities for long-term success.
• This hiring philosophy reflects a broader corporate shift towards valuing emotional intelligence and practical decision-making over elite academic credentials.
• Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway shares similar views, citing examples like Pete Leigl and Bill Gates who succeeded without top-tier academic backgrounds.

Why It Matters: Goldman Sachs and other leaders value practical skills and resilience over pure academic brilliance in hiring.