Though I was unable to find a definitive source, the following quote is widely attributed to Thomas John Watson Sr., the early chairman and CEO of IBM.
I’m no genius. I’m smart in spots — but I stay around those spots.
It is a remarkably accurate expression of the circle of competence, so it is no wonder that it is often mentioned in discussions of that context.
It is worth unpacking a little:
- “I’m no genius.” Begin with humility and also emphasize that there is no secret here. What follows is conceptually simple, so accessible to most anyone.
- “I’m smart in spots […]” You understand that you have areas of strength. You know your way around; you are smart in those areas.
- “[…] but I stay around those spots.” Not only do you operate in your areas of strength, but also deliberately not in your areas of weakness.
This is a mental model as well as a mindset. You deliberately cultivate self-awareness and practice restraint and focus.
Usage of the term spots is fortuitous. It evokes sparseness, i.e. few and scattered. Spots are also small. Altogether, and relative to the vast surface area of possible knowledge, these spots do not take up much space.
In other words, there is an implied acknowledgment that the list of things you are smart about is much, much smaller than the rest. What you do not know vastly outweighs what you do.
There is genius here, of course. It is in the utility of simple ideas.