Here’s a paradox: The smarter a leader is, the more likely they will eventually have troubling learning.
This is not because they lack the capacity to learn.
Quite the contrary.
Leaders with a high intellect are uniquely positioned to grasp ideas quickly and absorb complex issues with an eye toward a practical solution.
But those with high intellect and aptitude sometimes become overconfident in what they know. This reduces their openness, curiosity, and inquiry, which severely limits their ability to learn.
Leaders need humility to learn.
If they become too confident or proud of their existing knowledge and intellect and they can’t admit it when they don’t know or need to know more, they operate with a learning deficit.
In many cases, people with a high intellect must also be highly engaged or stimulated to apply themselves to learning new things.
They often lose interest quickly and may find it challenging to stay focused on anything they don’t think is interesting.
This is equally true for those leaders who learn voraciously about what intrigues them but turn off their inquiry about everything else.
They trust in whatever they find energizing but eschew ideas and insights others bring to their attention that lack any pizazz for them.
This selective learning hides the fact that they are most comfortable with understanding what is relevant in the moment but not what they need to know in the future.
Remaining open, curious, and receptive to learning is not easy for anyone with deep experience and expertise, but it is even more difficult for leaders who are tremendously smart.
Intellect is a learning asset only if it is used.
In words often attributed to Mark Twain, “A person who does not read good books has no advantage over a person who can’t read them.”
Putting high aptitude to work by openly learning is what truly defines smart.
If you know someone super smart, challenge them to consistently test their assumptions by remaining open to ideas, insights, and viewpoints out of their comfort zone.
Ask them to put their high aptitude to work exploring things that aren’t initially interesting. Remind them to say “I don’t know” several times a day.
But most of all, impress upon them that the more they know, the more there is to learn. This is especially true regarding what they know best.
The more experienced a leader is, the more there is to know. How smart are you?
