Really Smart People Keep Learning

Is that just too obvious to you?

The impact on organizations is huge and, I think, grossly underestimated.

Hiring "smart people" often consists of hiring recent grads with high grade point averages or candidates with related experience.

My consistent observation within organizations is that this is only a fraction of what's needed--and frequently meaningless.

More and more, especially with ongoing change, the path to performance is learning. But there is a cry continuing to be heard in board rooms and hallways: "But (name) is so smart. Why can't (s)he get what we're doing?

The answer lies in willingness and ability on a person's part to:

1. Recognize that something new requires learning

2. Understand that "new" means it's time to learn again

3. Suspend judgment and try  a different way of doing things

This isn't an issue of IQ. It's an issue of EQ.

When I created the tag line "Teaching Smart People Practical Ways to Become Extraordinary", the response from clients and colleagues was positive. The question that does pop up is : How do you decide who is smart and who isn't?

The answer: I don't know who will fit into that category until I start working with  an individual or an organization. When facing a challenge or simply wanting to grow, those who are willing to make the necessary changes look awfully smart to me. And it's the willingness to learn that defines "smart".

Under the same circumstances, those who dig in and make excuses for why they shouldn't at least give it a try fall into the opposite category.

Would your organization be willing to define "smart" in a similar way?

Bonus:  Mary Jo Asmus lays out a key leadership skill that will make a difference in your career, regardless of your position in the organization. Check out The Key Missing Piece

Comments

[Ana Tampanna]

How cruical it is for all of us to read daily! Thanks, Steve!

[Mary Jo Asmus]

Hi Steve, thanks for the link back to my article.

I appreciate that the kind of smart you are writing about here isn't just about knowledge or book smarts - it applies to people smarts - likely the biggest reason for leadership failure despite what the studies say. Thanks for the the great article.

[HRMS Software]

To read everyday! Yes. Indeed. And let's not forget a true reader doesn't choose what to read.