Brilliance vs. Reliability: Which is More Important in the Contemporary World?
Recently, the famous Hindi actor Sunil Shetty shared a post reflecting on the value of reliability over raw talent or brilliance, drawing from his experiences in the film industry and the business world.
Shetty provided personal examples of long-standing relationships with team members who have been with him for over 30 years: Parshu, who manages his personal affairs; Kiran Dada, his makeup artist; Ashok, who handles his accounts and taxes; Kanta, who runs operations in his offices; and Muchhad, his former driver who now looks after his farmhouse.
In today’s world, brilliance is often rewarded, but the quiet power of consistently showing up and delivering is underrated. This is reflected in many areas. Forbes published an article on “What kind of characteristics, what kind of personal qualities, in the aggregate, are most valuable?” The answer is reliability over brilliance. Brilliant, difficult employees often consume a lot of management time. In a twist on the old "80-20 rule" (where 80% of your business is said to come from 20% of your customers), the author found that they spent 80% of their time on 20% of their employees—and they weren’t the calm, collaborative, easy-going, reliable ones.
However, today, this notion is slowly fading. Of course, brilliance is needed to some extent in every organization. However, it should be utilized according to need. Thanks to technology, brilliance can be acquired as a service. Organizations can buy that service, but they need a reliable team to sustain it. Hence, reliability becomes more important.
This issue extends beyond organizations—it has also crept into family systems. Parents appreciate their children’s brilliance while they pursue degrees, but it often loses value afterward. Today, in the context of marriage, if a boy or girl is reliable, this quality is often overlooked. Brilliance takes precedence in selecting a bride or groom, yet this model has proven to fail over time.
Rahul Dravid is known as “Mr. Dependable” in Indian cricket. In the 2004 India vs. Pakistan Test Match, Rahul Dravid played a 270-ball inning over almost 12 hours. Can you imagine playing for 12 hours straight? In the history of Test matches, no Indian batsman had ever played an inning that long. He is known as the "Wall" of cricket. For most of his career, Dravid was considered to be in Sachin’s shadow. However, he proved himself as a true gentleman and a complete test cricketer. This is the power of reliability.
Consider these scenarios:
• Would you buy a car that can reach 150 km per hour but whose engine fails frequently, or one that goes 50 km per hour but never fails?
• Would you invest in an asset that offers a 40% return but might plunge into negative territory, or one that offers a consistent 6% return over the long term?
• Would you take a job with the highest package, but with the risk of being laid off anytime, or one with a lower package but long-term stability?
• Would you board a train that is always on time, or a flight with unpredictable arrival times?
Today’s society is divided by these questions. One generation prioritizes risk over reward.
"Facts from paper are not the same as facts from people. The reliability of the people giving you the facts is as important as the facts themselves." – Harold Geneen.
What is your priority? Brilliance or reliability?
Ravi Saripalle
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
View Details
Like
0 Comments
Repost
You may also like
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Why Bad News Hits Harder: The Science of Negativity Bias
Dear Friends,Once, while walking through a narrow street lined with closely packed houses, I came across a typical scene: a heated argument between a husband and wife. Their voices echoed across
Aasrith Chandu
Published 7d+
Why I left My Dream College, ISI?
Hello readers!I'd like to share a story of a confused student, a confused dreamer, and a confused JEE aspirant. A story of mine. Let's get into it!! THE DREAM!!Like every other middle-class
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
The Thirsty ChatGPT!
The Thirsty ChatGPT! Cultivate Responsible Prompt Engineering! Be Accountable for your Prompts and behind Water footprint!Dear Friends and Students,During a recent visit to a friend's home,
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Seiryu-Miharashi
This Railway Station is created for a Purpose, without an Entrance, Exit or a Ticket Machine! Did you create such stations in your life journey or only planning to stop at the final Carriage and Wagon
The Art of Teaching
Published 7d+
The Power of Teaching: Cultivating Minds Like a Garden
As educators, we often seek metaphors to better understand our roles and the impact we have on our students. One such analogy is comparing teaching to gardening—a living process that thrives
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Confluence of Declining Math Ability
"Confluence of Declining Math Ability, Mobile Device Usage in Child Development, and AI as Future Teachers: Exploring the Changing Landscape and Implications for the World"Dear Friends and
EdGe: Your Academic Co-pilot
Published 7d+
COMEDK UGET
About COMEDK UGET 2025The Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK) conducts the Undergraduate Entrance Test (UGET) for admission to engineering courses in approximately
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
The Connection Between a Mother’s Kiss and a Newborn: Emotion, Science, and Sanatana Dharma
The Connection Between a Mother’s Kiss and a Newborn: Emotion, Science, and Sanatana DharmaDear Friends,Recently, a social media influencer shared a heartwarming video that captivated
Mula Lakshmi Prasanna
Published 7d+
JOURNEY FROM 95% TO 81%
I started this journey seriously from the day it was announced that class 10 Exams won't be commencing due to Corona Virus. Apart from all the hard work that I had given in 10th, I wasn't expecting
EdGe: Your Academic Co-pilot
Published 7d+
An Eminent Educator, Researcher, and Leader in English Language Teaching
Dr. Hari Babu Thammineni is a distinguished academician, educator, and expert in English Language Teaching (ELT) with over 25 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic administration. Currently
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Better English for Best Mathematics
Do You Need Better English for Best Mathematics? Similarly, Computer Science and Communication!! 20% drop in Maths Performance due to less understanding of words! How does a Metro, City, Town Student perform
EdGe: Your Academic Co-pilot
Published 7d+
All About Amrita
AMRITA UNIVERSITY – A Beacon of Excellence in Higher EducationAmrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, widely recognized as Amrita University, is a premier private, multi-campus, multi-disciplinary,
Related Blogs
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Career Path vs Career Portfolio
Are You Working towards a “Career Path” or Building a “Career Portfolio”? Time to invest in Latter! Say Bye to “Career Path”!! Read this Interesting Perspective!!Dear
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Soul Pleasure Vs Societal Pleasure
Hard to Accept this Definition but Soft to Reject? Soul Pleasure and Pressure Vs Societal Pleasure and Pressure? Read this perspective!Dear Friends and StudentsGustavo Petro, the Mayor of Bogota,
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Dream vs Dignity
Hack the MAANG or Happy with WAIT Companies!! Dream vs Dignity?Dear Friends and StudentsSlowing Global Economic Growth is Increasingly Evident! I have been receiving multiple calls from the student
Kartikeya Kommanamanchi
Published 7d+
The Most Important Day for an Indian!
It is no surprise to boast that Independence Day is the most important day for Indians. It ought to be so for any person in the world if their country fought for Independence, especially from imperial/
ELCSLAB @ Lendi
Published 7d+
Legendary spinners in the world cricket
Legendary spinners in the world cricketRavichandran Ashwin:Ravichandran Ashwin is an Indian international cricketer from Chennai, who plays for the India cricket team. In Indian domestic cricket he
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Living in scarcity vs. Living in Abundance!!
Plenty but Purposeless results are Pathetic! Living in scarcity vs. Living in Abundance!! Read this perspectiveDear Friends and StudentA coupleuple of days back I received a LinkedIn message with the