It's OK not to be the smartest person in the room, says this tech CEO

Have you ever felt like everyone else in the room is smarter than you are? That might not be a bad thing, according to John Lombard, CEO of IT firm NTT Data in the Asia Pacific.

"You don't have to be the smartest person in the room," he told CNBC's "My Biggest Lessons." Instead, you should surround yourself with "really smart people," he said.

"Always employ people that you think are smarter than you are."

Hiring these people often leads to some of the most innovative business decisions. They have a knack for challenging the status quo, rather than simply accepting the norm, Lombard noted.

Watch the full video for the rest of Lombard's lessons.