Hire Smart People, Trust Them, And Let Them Do Their Jobs

Essentially, allow the smart people you hire to be smart, Melby said.

"Competent people can drive us forward," he said.

And when they come aboard, allow them to use their intelligence to make decisions, as long as you make it clear that those decisions must fit within the organization's mission, something Melby calls "directed autonomy."

As part of that, he added, "they also want really clear directions." So, create clear areas of focus for them, Melby said.