What Type of Intelligence are you Cultivating as a Leader?
The nine areas of intelligence that matter most to be effective leaders.
Intelligence
The single most powerful word that enables the creation of paradoxical humanism that strives to distinguish and create artificially distinct boundaries on the spirit of effective leadership. — Gaganbir
Leadership is an art that requires constant rigour to give it an identity, shape and presence.
Amongst, it’s many attributes intelligence plays a seasoned role that has helped to form opinions on the qualities a leader may have. This attribute occupies its space amongst the top echelons of desired qualities.
If you heard the word, intelligent or intelligence, what kind of image does your mind conjure up? Someone, who is nerdy with a bit of geekiness, socially suave but under-represented, focussed driven and searching for new mental pastures for mining and farming the depths of the possible. You can see that I do love a bit of vividness to my writing as I believe putting the right content should enable the correct mental projections.
You can see how much archetypical visualisation comes into play by holding onto the word. However, if I follow up intelligence with the context of a leader, the image changes profoundly. It’s important to understand that intelligence, by definition, cannot be capped as a general ability.
By its very presence intelligence allows for a person to understand, differentiate and distinguish it into specific modalities — each modality enabling the capability of self measure.
The theory of multiple intelligences proposed by Howard Gardener in 1983 in his book the Frames of mind is an exacting modality based approach. I have found it most akin to developing holistically as a person first, followed by being an able leader.
There has been an increased pressure on any timescale to help differentiate human intelligence by logical and linguistic capability which is often refered to as IQ. I have often found it as the most incapable format, with a complete lack of future comprehensibility for actually developing as an individual. Limiting human capability to a score through validatory tests is in itself quite repressing. There is so much more to our minds.
As a leader, I have often been through a spate of empirical evidence tests that are supposed to help me understand my logical, linguistic and spatial reasoning. I appreciated the intent, but I am also blissfully aware that I could never condone it as a single form of intelligence score. I am a firm believer in applied evidence.
Leadership requires a repeated effort in the nine forms of multiple intelligence. Not as a means to be comparative but to measure one’s natural ability to be holistic and self evolutionary.
The nine forms give coverage of:
1.Existential
Understanding the reason for our existence is an intrinsic motivator for all leaders to strive to create a better tomorrow. As a leader, we are solely responsible for creating what we believe. A pragmatic sense of inherent belief on what is right, driven by the systemic passion of the teams we lead. Existence precedes essence. (l’ existence précède l’essence)
2. Logical-Mathematical reasoning
This reasoning, in its entirety, is the most tested form of intelligence. Mostly everyone would have been subjected to an IQ test to determine the “standing” in the “order” to assess capability. It is indeed useful but is one of the dimensions that are necessary for leaders to understand causal relationships as well as the ability to factor logic, establish reasoning, build abstractions from situations and apply reason. I, for one, have profoundly believed that our logicality is driven deeply by our rationalism, remaining quite connected with our emotions and the metaphysical. Viewing logical as a boolean response helps enable us to make decisions, but we need to understand that decisions are a derivative of choices. And choices have a lot of history behind them.
3. Inter-personal
Today’s world is driven by the existence and importance of self -empowering, high performing teams that are ably connected to the vision of the leader. As a leader, it is required to build connections driven by empathy, an understanding of the skills of the people we work with, their intrinsic motivations and temperaments. An ability to connect a group of people and fashion them into teams requires great interpersonal skill that is also quite akin to emotional intelligence.
4. Bodily-Kinesthetic
The capability to have a connect with the physical self is as essential a being mentally reflexive. We are driven more by our physical gestures, responses and skills then we realise. While the physical motor senses actively govern this intelligence, it rarely should be limited to a type. Our sensory responses are connected, and being timely is an art that requires practice. Excellent oratory skills are not dependent only on linguistics; there is as much influence on the motion of the body and the energy associated with it.
5. Linguistic
Establishing verbal reasoning and grammar in a native language is often seen as the core requirement for being effective in building and creating influence. The power of articulation cannot be trifled with as there have been numerous examples of great leaders showcasing this important modality. They have driven nations in the throes of passion through a strong linguistic capability. Effective teams have leaders who have practised the penchant of linguistics to create high performance. The power of semantics, have a long-lasting impact; consciously and sub-consciously. The choice of right words at the right time has a far-reaching effect.
6. Intra-personal
Reflection and introspection on self are essential attributes for evolutionary preservation. We cannot improve if we cannot introspect to identify the, “What next”? I have coached leaders across diverse industries, and I can safely say understanding one’s uniqueness requires absolute patience to question continually. To understand the real bend of our mind requires developing a deep sense of “me time”.
7. Visual-Spatial
Spatial intelligence is a subject by itself in psychology and is connected with an individual to navigate with the mind’s eye. Spatial intelligence helps to reason and is a natural ally to linguistics. Forming a judgement, based on visual and non-visual cues, is an essence of leadership developed with practice. A related notion is that of situational awareness: a heightened consciousness of the individual’s surroundings understanding the intentions of the people around and their anticipated actions.
8. Naturalistic
Leaders need to recognise the importance of their existence. There are very few driven individuals who understand the core of their existence and its allowance to achieve results. A practising art of mindfulness requires one to possess the ability to distinguish and making consequential decisions that matter. To understand that we are a small cog, albeit a powerful one in the potency of living is an important modality. Developing this form of intelligence requires patience but carries an immense effect of influence and building extraordinary passion.
9. Musical — Rythm and Harmony
It may sound odd to include an intelligence towards musical ability but developing the capability to recognise tonality and the intention that it intents to play out allows a leader to navigate negotiation, empowerment, agreement and build a spatial sense. In its original purpose for an individual, it will pan out to be more aligned to the musical arts. However, its extension to leadership allows for a pervasive influence on linguistics.
A modality based intelligence model allows the cognitive sense of leaders to recognise the extent of intelligence interplay and the extent of coverage that can be developed in each pattern to be holistic.
Leadership requires a consistent understanding of situational awareness and this means relying on all the pervading senses to make a consistent difference. It is never about making a massive difference all the time but the little push at the right times that allow for a mothball effect in the direction held constant by a powerful vision.
Simply put, it is worthwhile to start with intrapersonal intelligence to understand what the nine modalities mean for you as an individual, whether you are a leader or one aspiring to be.
A starting point is a high point to start rolling.
