Tag: intelligence

Types of intelligence and learning from others

We are all much more similar in intelligence levels than most people believe. I think the people who grade better in the classroom might naturally be more inclined have more “book smarts,” but it’s not because they are smarter individuals. I think that it’s a learned skill that their environment has allowed them to pick up more quickly than others. Maybe their parents spent more time reading with them, asking them questions, letting them work through problems instead of just answering the questions for them or jumping in at the first sign of struggle. It’s how we focus and where we dedicate our time and energy.

But just because someone doesn’t earn good grades doesn’t mean they aren’t smart. They could be very good with people skills and be a great salesperson or even a great leader. They could be very good with their hands and be an amazing mechanic or carpenter. Meanwhile, the people with good grades may be lacking in those areas.

The point is, dot discredit someone’s intelligence just because they don’t see things the way you do. Where you have an advantage in certain areas, you’re likely lacking in others. Make sure to keep an open mind. You can learn something from anyone.

What you can’t do if you fail

Never fail due to a lack of effort. Go down swinging. If you’re not skilled enough to do something or if you’re not smart enough to grasp it, that’s a capacity issue that can be addressed. With the right coaching, determination, and attitude, you can improve on those things. But effort requires no skill, no intelligence. You either give it your all or you don’t. And if you’re not trying, you deserve to lose.

What type of players do you have on your team?

What type of players do you have and your team? Grade each player/team member. Do you have A players, B players, C, D, or F? An A player has all the attributes you want. They have a good work ethic, are ambitious, speak and act with integrity, are always willing to help the team, have a good attitude, and are always looking to learn or improve. A B player might be missing one of those attributes or might have a lower level of several of those attributes. A C player will be missing multiple attributes. You should seriously consider whether or not to keep a C player on your team. Are they willing to work hard to become an A or B player? If not, better to cut the cord and let them go. D and F players should not be on your team, as they are just dragging everyone else down and making them work harder.

There is the saying that when a flower doesn’t bloom (or a tree doesn’t grow), it’s not the flower/tree’s fault, it’s the environment. That is true of flowers and also in business. You need to have the right environment around for your best players to blossom and to become the best versions of themselves. But at the same time, not every flower/tree/plant is meant to survive in every environment. For example, you aren’t going to see a cactus thrive in Alaska or a palm tree in Antarctica. Sometimes you cannot change the environment. Or at least, you shouldn’t change the environment to suit the needs of the extreme outliers in your company. Some people will succeed and others you may need to let go. Don’t change your environment for C, D, or F players. You will drive out your A and B players. Don’t cater to the weak spots on your team. They need to step up their game and take responsibility.

Education – it’s not just about schooling

“Education is the movement from darkness to light.” – Allan Bloom

Go to the light! Don’t stay hidden in the dark…

Consume new material, information, and ideas. Take time to think about what you just read and learned.

Go in with an open mind and your initial thoughts about a subject can change.

Process the information and put it to use. If you’re not educating yourself (in the form of experiencing new things, reading/watching/listening to new things, etc), you are keeping yourself ignorant. You are hiding in the dark.

Power

We want to power not so we can abuse it, but to make sure that we are never taken advantage of. But there are different types of power. For example, being wealthy is powerful. If you are independently wealthy and not financially reliant on your W-2 income, if you feel like you are mistreated or if you just don’t like your job you can leave it for something else.

Other types of power include strength (physical and mental), intelligence, and influence.

If you physical strength or if you know how to defend yourself, you have power. People will think twice about messing with you before selecting an easier target.

If you have mental strength, you have power. Others will not be able to manipulate your emotions if you know how to keep them in check.

If you have intelligence, you have power. You will be able to detect when someone is lying or trying to mislead you. You can use your intuition and what you already have a base knowledge of to figure out if something makes sense.

If you have influence (such as a huge social media following, but even with your friends or family), you have power. Your words can affect how people think, what they say/do, how they vote, etc.

Once again, it’s not that we want this power to hold over someone else. It’s actually the complete opposite. We want to have the power so that others can’t exercise that power on us.

How are you increasing your power today?