I don't think of it as turning to a network instead of knowing something. I think of it as turning to a network instead of Googling.

(We all look up stuff constantly. Price-checking, deadline checking, version validation, tactics, etc. We probably don't appreciate how often we do it.)

I have one staff-member who is a prominent member of a significant open source project. This person knows a LOT. So do my other staff-members. But the project member turns to his IRC window/mailing list, and gets answers really fast. Plus, he feels certain and comfortable because he typically trusts the answers he gets.

I won't say he's "better" than his peers, but this network, which he has put in a lot of work to earn, has definite value to him and us.