In this article, Shoshana Kordova does a great job of explaining the Hebrew terms rosh gadol (“big head”) vs. rosh katan (“small head”). While telling someone that they have a big head may be career limiting in English speaking circles, telling them they are rosh gadol is paying them a high compliment. Rosh gadol describes the ability to see the big picture as opposed to focusing on the small tasks. Hit up the article for a helpful discussion of the difference in these two types of people and why organizations have (and need) both.
Years ago a great post on the Joel on Software blog discussed how developers would ideally be rosh gadol. In reality, your team will consist of both rosh gadol and rosh katan resources. As a project manager or technical lead, identifying which type of thinker each team member is can help you guide them towards tasks they’ll be more comfortable and efficient with. It might also help you manage your expectations when dealing with these two types of individuals.