So you think you’re not smart
Most of us get our perception of how smart we are from school as kids. This is unfortunate, because schools don’t really recognize all forms of intelligence. They can even do a bad job with the subjects they do teach, leading talented kids to think they are the problem rather than the curriculum. I meet so many adults who think they’re not all that bright but actually are; who really aren’t terribly bright but are mistaken in thinking that should hold them back; and who really aren’t that bright but don’t let that hold them back.
If you didn’t do well in school, that doesn’t mean you’re “dumb”. Schools often fail students. I don’t mean in the sense of the classroom not being everyone’s ideal learning environment: I mean, sometimes teachers don’t understand the material themselves, and try to put down the confused students in self-defense. Sometimes unusual eyesight problems go undetected in kids who have no idea why everyone else is able to read the blackboard in 2 seconds when it takes them 10. How well you do with puzzles and games could actually be a better indicator of your intelligence than how you did in school. Are you good at Scrabble? Or if language isn’t your thing, what about puzzles, or games that require deductive reasoning or strategy? Those are all forms of intelligence. Even cooking a meal properly – timing everything and getting it all together, and often having to make substitutions on the fly – requires a lot more strategic ability than most people realize.
Smart is as smart does. The average IQ of CEOs is only 104 – quite average. It is believed that the real predictor of success for these folks is neither IQ nor previous experience, but something they call “emotional intelligence.” It refers to your wisdom in handling your feelings, dealing with people, forging relationships and maintaining them. In my experience, it’s not common for anyone to have both high emotional and intellectual intelligence. If you’re emotionally intelligent, and you’re not intimidated by smart people, you can surround yourself with brilliant folks and act as the glue that keeps the team together through misunderstandings and emotionally less-than-brilliant squabbles.
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