Sophie Hirst
Author
August 24, 2024
Intelligence = Success
Right…?
Academic ability, intelligence, IQ — the model drilled into us in school is that these things make you a winner.
But.
Work is not a test
Raw intelligence isn’t the main driver of success in most careers (I’m talking corporate, tech, creative industries).
In a work context there’s rarely a single right answer.
A company is just a collection of (messy) humans obsensibly working towards the same (moving) target while making 70-90% of their decisions on emotion vs logic, according to science.
What drives success then?
Mostly it comes down to how well you navigate people and problems.
It’s things things like:
- Big move energy
- Courage to take risks
- Determination and drive
- Influencing people that don’t report to you
- Good judgement
- Always-learning mindset
A 2 year global study of top performers (at Adobe, Google, Nasa, LinkedIn, Salesforce and more) found 5 things set them apart from other other smart, capable, hardworking individuals.
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The good news?
Unlike raw intelligence which is hard to change, these skills can 💯 be improved.
3 micro-steps to take
1. Start listening for the “agenda behind the agenda”.
⚠️ Watch out 👉🏼 the point isn’t to run off and work on these things (one of the biggest mistakes people make). Important alignment needs to happen in the next phase, but for now, practice reading between the lines.
2. Refine your system for handling tasks.
The #2 most frustrating behaviour quoted by managers in the study was having to chase their report on things.
- You want to build a reputation for being “a safe pair of hands”
- Handling tasks with such predictability and consistency that your manager leaves you to work independently.
- This doesn't mean you do everything your manager asks. It does mean you don't forget about stuff.
Everyone does it differently. I like to keep it simple:
3. Steal these phrases to ask & adjust.
High five, still alive
Soph ✌
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