Summary:
Here are five ways intellectually gifted workers torpedo their career trajectories.
When you understand these shortcomings, you can turn them around. Here are five ways intellectually gifted workers torpedo their career trajectories.
Raw intelligence is a huge asset, but it isn’t everything. Sometimes, when intellectually gifted people don’t achieve as much as they’d like to, it’s because they’re subtly undermining themselves. Here are five issues smart people struggle with:
They devalue relationship building. Very smart people sometimes see their success as inevitable because of their intellect and might see workplace diplomacy as an irritation rather than a core skill.
Solution: Start by identifying three workplace-diplomacy behaviors that would improve your success.
RELATED: It's Time to Get Past Your Aversion to Networking
They find teamwork frustrating. For someone who grasps concepts quickly, it can be difficult to work with people who take longer to process information. Smart people also sometimes find it difficult to delegate because of a sense that they can do a task better, regardless of whether this is actually true.
Solution: Learn to appreciate what diverse minds bring to a team.
They attach a lot of their self-esteem to being smart. This can make it difficult to receive critical feedback or take a risk.
Solution: Develop relationships with people you trust to give you constructive feedback.
They get bored easily. If you’re smart and curious, you might quickly lose interest in anything once you’ve figured it out.
Solution: Try taking a 30,000-foot view of when it’s worth tolerating a few hours of boredom to collect easy wins toward your overall success.
RELATED: There Are Four Leadership Styles: Can You Identify Yours?
They see in-depth thinking as the solution to every problem. Bright people are accustomed to succeeding through their thinking skills, and they might overlook when a different approach would be more beneficial.
Solution: Notice when thinking becomes an unhealthy obsession. Experiment with taking breaks to get unstuck, and allow yourself to learn by doing rather than through exhaustive advance research.
Copyright 2018 Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate.
Topics
Self-Control
Judgment
Adaptability
Related
Escaping the Tyranny of Academic Writing for the NarrativeEmotional Intelligence: Three Pivotal Points for Effective Physician LeadershipThe Right Way to Process FeedbackRecommended Reading
Self-Management
Escaping the Tyranny of Academic Writing for the Narrative
Motivations and Thinking Style
The Right Way to Process Feedback
Motivations and Thinking Style
Fast Thinkers Are More Charismatic
Professional Capabilities
“Profiles in Success”: Certified Physician Executives Share the Value and ROI of their CPE Education
Professional Capabilities
From the Idea to the Business Plan: Evaluating the Opportunity