Which one is yours?
Growing up, intelligence was associated with math ability and measured strictly by IQ (and your math score!). Having studied in a French Lycée, the “intelligent” kids were pressured towards the Scientific Bacaleureat regardless of their true passion or talent.
Then, years later, EQ joined the equation as we understood the importance of soft skills and emotional intelligence.
I recently read about Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner’s theory of the diversity of intelligence and loved his perspective: intelligence is not linear but multidimensional and can take many different forms and shapes, just like humans.
He identified 8 different types of intelligence:
Musical (music smart)
Bodily- Kinesthetic (body smart)
Interpersonal (people smart)
Verbal- Linguistic (word smart)
Logical- Mathematical (logic smart)
Naturalistic (nature smart)
Intrapersonal (self smart)
Visual- Spatial (picture smart)
I particularly love the element of diversity in this way of looking at intelligence: while my husband, who is a pilot excels at logic smart and visual spatial smart (I would worry if he didn’t!), as a writer, a linguist and a people leader, I gravitate towards the verbal smart and people smart.
Having a team where people have different types of intelligence is
Intelligence for Leadership
The analysis then focused on identifying the 3 types of intelligence that are crucial in leadership.
Can you guess which ones they are?
1) Intrapersonal Intelligence: the capacity to know yourself and introspect. The ability to slowdown, observe, reflect and be self-aware of feelings, thoughts, reactions.
2) Interpersonal intelligence: the ability to think people first and be people-centric.
3) Linguistc intelligence: the ability to express yourself efficiently, both through written and verbal communication
Do you agree with this approach to intelligence?
Where do you see yourself?
