Intelligence

How do you see your ability to learn and your overall knowledge level? Some people self-assess this from their expertise and experience (i.e. how much do I know?) while others take the path of how quickly they pick up new information (i.e. how easily do I learn?). Neither is wrong but looking at how you think about what intelligence means is insightful. And recognizing that others view the concept of intelligence differently can be paradigm-shifting! This is often a result of what has made us successful and/or caused risk in our lives so far.

I’ve moved across different teams in a leadership role and had to quickly learn about the mission I was supporting. Sometimes I was briefing and/or supporting military pilots, other times I was leading and teaching young students, and still other times I was overseeing implementation of cybersecurity plans and programs. I had to have a broader understanding of the basic sub tasks and roles that were at play in each role. Success meant continuously “getting up to speed” on new information and that became a measuring stick for how intelligent folks perceived me to be.

Other folks will have had quite the opposite experience. They may have been recognized for their mastery of or expertise in a certain field or area. For example, my oldest son is enamored with airplanes. He reads about them, draws them, makes models of them, watches documentaries on them… you get the idea. He has garnered a lot of positive attention from teachers and other adults over the years because of his deep knowledge on the subject of airplanes. This has been an intellectual rock around which he has framed his self-assessed intelligence.

And he’s far from alone in doing so. Some people view their ability to master knowledge in a certain area as proof that their intelligence enables them to master whatever they set their sights on. And I, for one, am not going to disagree. But recognizing this as a self-perception cornerstone of intelligence is an important factor in understanding, leading, and working with such folks.

Team Tasking Order: 1/3

Strengths: Openness to deep learning, Analysis, Prioritization, Trouble Shooting

Challenges: Clarification, Inclusion of additional resources, Finale product approval