The Roadmap to Building Intelligence

The Roadmap to Building Intelligence

What is “intelligence”? I don’t believe it’s equivalent to IQ, which often simply reveals who takes certain types of tests better than others (and if you’re at all exposed to Mensa, the self-described “top 2 percent,” you’d think the members had acquired the answers to the tests).

Intelligence is reflected by success, not necessarily solely or even primarily financial success, though one would think that the more success you enjoy the relatively more you’ll be compensated in your particular career pursuits. But what creates a person of better than average intelligence?

It’s certainly not merely education, because I attended a fine school, Rutgers, that educated a great many people but didn’t contribute much to the intelligence on some because the individuals were busy refusing to learn. (They believed, with some degree of proof, that they merely had to pass certain tests, not realizing that the greater test of life didn’t have an answer sheet that could be cribbed or notes that could be copied.)

In observing, coaching, and helping to develop people globally for 30 years, my “model” looks like this:

AI = A + L + V  x  S

Applied intelligence equals awareness, plus learning, plus volition, multiplied by speed.

Awareness means Scope of Processing

• Sensory skills

• Discrimination

• Perspective

Margaret Wheatley points out in Leadership and the New Science that “consciousness” is related to the extent that information is processed.

Learning means Degree of Integration

• Synthesis

• Versatility

• Prioritization

This is the ability to take processed information and “attach” it to your frames of reference, priorities, and talents, creating new knowledge.

Volition means Immediacy of Action

• Optimism

• Resilience

• Risk taking

This is the drive to apply the learning immediately, not to “wait for the right time,” and to create opportunities to apply it to improve performance and results.

Speed is the rapidity possible in each of the three areas

• Judgment

• Sense of urgency

• Relevance

This measure includes increasing speed as the processes are internalized, and seeking success, not perfection.

Each of my bullet points can involve specific skills building, coaching, and practice.

My experience is that intelligence should be measured by relative success and is dependent on these factors, all of which are learnable and coachable. While some people have “gifts” (e.g., the ability to play the piano by ear or write quickly and expressively), the norm is for pragmatic skills development, which means we have to understand the process.

Anyone can improve their intelligence with the correct steps and discipline.

© Alan Weiss 2011. All rights reserved.