Ideally any group will have good intellectual variety (not an attempt to be PC. I mean that the group is composed of uniquely smart individuals in their field i

Ideally any group will have good intellectual variety (not an attempt to be PC. I mean that the group is composed of uniquely smart individuals in their field in a complementary way). My question is what is the role of the "smartest" person in the room? Obviously a group won't survive if the smartest person is always moving on. Assuming there is always 1 "smartest" person, this is an inherently unstable system. Eventually all groups will be composed of one individual who is both the smartest and dumbest member of the group. The way I see it, the smart people can both: - Satisfy their intellectual curiosity individually through their work or in personal extracurricular activities - Establish a mentoring relationship with the rest of the group Regarding the second option, I believe this is a healthy group dynamic. It raises the groups average IQ or expertise, and training / mentoring others helps to solidify your own understanding of a subject. Perhaps in time the mentee will get to the point where they can challenge and expand the mentor's own understanding.