If it was true as a general rule that "you should never be the smartest person a team", then all teams would break down if everyone followed that principle, bec

If it was true as a general rule that "you should never be the smartest person a team", then all teams would break down if everyone followed that principle, because the smartest person would leave, then the previous second smartest would be the smartest and they would leave, and so on. This is not to say that you should necessarily accept the position in question; only that your decision should be based on a different principle. If the real question is, "should I work on a team of people who are not smart enough to accomplish their goals" then obviously the answer is no.