To succeed today, it's not enough to know more — you must expand how you think and how you connect with others.
To succeed in the world, you have to increase more of what you know. One of the ways the world is changing now is to succeed in the world, you have to connect more of how you interact with other human beings. I think we're moving into an era where emotional intelligence is going to be more important than IQ because you cannot out IQ a computer. Technical problems were taught to solve at technical colleges, the mathematical problems were taught to solve, the accounting problems were taught to solve.
All of those can today be solved by a software that is infinitely faster than you. I found a lot of the entrepreneurs that I mentor and coach, the conversation is a lot less about how do you become smarter and a lot more about how do you know what the question is in the first place. Let me say it differently. It used to be that you and I, when we were studying for exams, would like obsess over the answers. And so if you remember when you were preparing for exams, you got old exam papers and then you'd work the old exam paper because you were trying to learn the answer.
I think we're moving into the era where the question is more important than the answer. And so rather than try to learn what the answer is, we should be asking, what is the question?
To succeed today, it's not enough to know more — you must expand how you think and how you connect with others.
To succeed in the world, you have to increase more of what you know. One of the ways the world is changing now is to succeed in the world, you have to connect more of how you interact with other human beings. I think we're moving into an era where emotional intelligence is going to be more important than IQ because you cannot out IQ a computer. Technical problems were taught to solve at technical colleges, the mathematical problems were taught to solve, the accounting problems were taught to solve.
All of those can today be solved by a software that is infinitely faster than you. I found a lot of the entrepreneurs that I mentor and coach, the conversation is a lot less about how do you become smarter and a lot more about how do you know what the question is in the first place. Let me say it differently. It used to be that you and I, when we were studying for exams, would like obsess over the answers. And so if you remember when you were preparing for exams, you got old exam papers and then you'd work the old exam paper because you were trying to learn the answer.
I think we're moving into the era where the question is more important than the answer. And so rather than try to learn what the answer is, we should be asking, what is the question?
The TikTok video by Vusi Thembekwayo, titled “To succeed today, it’s not enough to know more”, explores the shifting definition of success in the modern world. Vusi emphasizes that accumulating knowledge—what we traditionally associate with intelligence—is no longer enough. In an age where software and AI can outperform humans in technical problem-solving, the real competitive advantage lies in how we connect, communicate, and relate to others. Emotional intelligence, adaptability, and deep interpersonal understanding are becoming more valuable than IQ.
He explains that leadership today is less about having all the answers and more about asking the right questions, inspiring others, and navigating complexity. The analogy he uses about exams—that we used to obsess over answers, but now the question matters more—illustrates this perfectly. We're no longer living in a world where memorized knowledge gives you an edge. Instead, success comes from knowing how to think, how to listen, and how to ask. The future, Vusi says, belongs to those who learn relentlessly, connect deeply, and question wisely.
The video resonates deeply because it addresses a silent shift many professionals and entrepreneurs are sensing but haven’t put into words. It redefines leadership in a way that feels relevant, human, and hopeful. With clean visuals, thoughtful narration, and a universally relatable message, the video gained traction for being not just informative, but transformational—a message that’s both personal and powerful in a digital-first world.
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