“Knowledge is power.” Sir Francis Bacon
Really? Is it? Is the smartest person really the most powerful? Is the most intelligent person the best leader? If this were true then why aren’t more university PHD’s leaders of organizations or in government?
I am not discrediting the hard work and amazing achievement these individuals have accomplished and many of them are great leaders. What I am suggesting is there is a myth that the smartest person is the leader. This is what leadership expert John Maxwell calls the “knowledge myth” in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. 
An article in the Journal of Applied Psychology that studied the relationship between intelligence and leadership agrees with John’s law. They found “the relationship between intelligence and leadership is considerably lower than previously thought.”1 I am not making a case that intelligence is unnecessary for a leader, but this intelligence is one part of the leadership quotient and here are a few things intelligence does bring for leaders.
Clarity of Thought
Intelligence is gained from formal education but continues with lifelong learning. The ability to think deeply and analyze subjects from multiple vantage points provides clarity of thought. Many of us have been in meetings where the leader either rambles mindlessly sounding unintelligent or speaking over our heads with technical jargon. Both demonstrate a lack of clear thinking. An effective leader must have an intelligence quotient that enables him or her to think clearly and communicate simply.
Clarity of Understanding
Creating time to think requires intellectual capacity and will clear space to better understand. Leaders solve problems, but in order to solve them we must understand them. Some leaders have a specific place they go not only to think into their problems, but they will take a notebook to write down their thoughts. The discipline of writing helps clarify challenges and provides greater understanding which leads to the third way IQ factors into effective leadership.
Communication Ability
One of the leader’s greatest challenges is communicating in a way that connects. As leaders think and understand they must have the intelligence to communicate their understanding in a manner that resonates with those they lead. This ability to transfer thoughts into a spoken message that connects with people requires IQ.
As a leader I am sure you are intelligent. How are you doing at leading in a way that uses your intelligence to connect with those around you? Do you want to be in an environment to see how you are doing in this area with those you lead? Contact me about facilitating The Leadership Game with your team. Lead well.
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- Judge, T. A., Colbert, A. E., & Ilies, R. (2004). Intelligence and Leadership: A Quantitative Review and Test of Theoretical Propositions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(3), 542–552.