Three Minute Wisdom Knowledge is not enough. True leadership is informed by wisdom. The ideas presented here are intended to arouse your curiosity, provoke your thinking and encourage insightful action to help you achieve the things that matter.
There are competitive advantages to being a fully intelligent leader.
This is hardly a controversial statement. But look more intelligently at what it means to be “fully” intelligent: it’s more than just being smart, it means operating at a high level across all the important domains of leadership, including one that is often ignored.
Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner introduced the concept of multiple intelligences in his 1983 book, Frames of Mind. What we think of as “smart” is often someone who is good at logic and analytical reasoning. We use the term IQ (intelligence quotient) to describe this intelligence, which allows someone to analyze complex data and follow logical trains of thought. This kind of cognitive skill is important, but it is only one type of intelligence Gardner found.
A decade later, Daniel Goleman documented the importance of another type of intelligence that he called Emotional Intelligence, or EQ. This intelligence was similar to what Gardner had called Interpersonal Intelligence. EQ describes a complex set of skills that allow a person to be self-aware, regulate their emotions and manage their social relationships. According to Goleman and other researchers, EQ is a far better predictor of success in the business world than IQ.
No one would deny that having high IQ and EQ is a good thing for a leader. A high IQ leader can analyze complicated situations, assimilate new information rapidly, and spot emerging trends from large amounts of data. A high EQ leader has good self awareness, strong interpersonal skills, and makes others feel valued.
But there is a third domain of leadership that is equally important. A successful leader today has to be able to articulate to a compelling vision to people, explain why their work is tied to a noble purpose, inspire hard work when times are tough – in short, a leader has to be good at understanding and explaining what is meaningful.
Beyond IQ and EQ We could call this third kind of leadership intelligence “meaning-making.” It is a type of intelligence Howard Gardner has called Existential Intelligence in his 2000 book, Intelligence Reframed. Gardner describes this intelligence as the capacity to tackle the ultimate issues of our existence, such as:
- Why are we here?
- Where are we going?
- What is the meaning of our efforts?
Cindy Wigglesworth calls this set of meaning-making skills Spiritual Intelligence, or SQ. In her 2012 book, SQ21, the Twenty One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence, she makes the business case for leadership action based on wisdom and compassion. Wigglesworth’s research outlines 21 specific skills that help people connect to and act from their ultimate source of meaning. Framing their actions in terms of meaning helps leaders improve their organizations by centering their decisions and communications on what matters most.
You might think that these are questions more suited to a poet or philosopher. But in the realm of business, these questions provide the launching ground for a leader who wants to create an inspired and committed workforce. Ask yourself: how quickly and plainly could you explain to your staff why your organization exists, how your strategy demonstrates your values, and how the work on their desk is serving to improve people’s lives. Leaders high in Existential Intelligence or Spiritual Intelligence are able to do this, and that gives them a leg up on other leaders when it comes to motivating and retaining their most talented people. to be good at understanding and explaining what is meaningful.
The Power of an Inner Focus There is a natural progression in these three domains of intelligence from an outer focus to an expanded orientation that includes inner and outer focus. Logical analysis (traditional IQ) is the most outward focused of these skill sets. The problem you are solving is “out there,” and can be observed and acted upon with little interior awareness or reflection. Many things can be effectively processed using IQ alone, like budgets, schedules, timelines, contracts, business processes, etc. But IQ has its proper limits. It is not effective to view people and relationships as “problems to be solved.” This is why Emotional Intelligence goes beyond relying solely on an outer focus and includes an inner focus as well. EQ is a mix of internal skills (self awareness and self regulation) and external skills (awareness of others and management of social relationships).
Existential or Spiritual Intelligence includes the skills of IQ and EQ but goes further to include additional skills that require even deeper internal reflection. The inscription above the door of the Oracle at Delphi advised those who entered to “Know Thyself.” The ancients knew that wisdom was power because it allowed one to discover what was most important to oneself and to base ones actions on that discovery. The process of revealing and internalizing your deepest priorities so that your actions flow freely from your core can produce powerful benefits to a leader. It makes you more authentic and compelling in all of your communications and interactions.
Actions You Can Take This inner journey of discovery and internalization is not easy. It takes time, effort and a willingness to do the honest work of exploration and reflection. Below are some examples of actions you can take to on your own journey to improve your meaning-making skills:
- Identify and prioritize your core values The values of the leader matter to staff. Expressing and modeling your core values helps you establish credibility and integrity with others. You may think such an exercise is not necessary because you already know your values, but if you have not taken the time to go through a values clarification process, you might be surprised by what you learn.
- Embed your values into your routine There are many ways to do this: write your values on index cards and rotate the top card each day, looking for opportunities to demonstrate that value; insert your values into your communications in emails and at staff meetings; add them to agendas; in making decisions, involve others in discussions about how a proposed decision aligns with values; encourage your staff to clarify their own values and include these in your discussions; make values part of your performance appraisal and recognition programs.
- Explain the “why” of organizational decisions When rolling out a new project, policy or initiative, include a communication piece that ties the business need of the decision to the higher purpose that is being served. Explain how the decision promotes the mission of the company and helps it achieve its vision.
- Invite conversations about the “why” When the people know they can question and discuss the purpose and meaning behind a leader’s decisions, it fosters an environment for greater enthusiasm and engagement. It is true that such openness can lead to difficult conversations and some amount of “soul-searching.” But don’t let that dissuade you – your willingness to involve others in the joint search for meaning will help develop your meaning-making skills and increase the motivation, commitment and creativity of your people.
A fully intelligent leader combines the best of IQ, EQ and SQ and knows when to use each. After all, isn’t leadership about more than good analysis and good relationships, isn’t it about motivating people to care? Better than intelligence, you could call that wisdom.
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