Mastering the Art of Intuitive Intelligence
Intuitive intelligence is fundamental for being a successful leader and manager. My question is whether or not intuition can be learned, or alternatively is it something innate that is beyond the locus of our conscious control? I think there are elements of both at play. Regardless of what you were born with, I believe that at least one aspect of intuition, the ability to ‘read’ people, can be enhanced and fine-tuned.
The key to intuitive intelligence is; being curious about the way other people think, frequently interacting with a broad spectrum of people, keeping an open mind and regularly putting yourself in ‘someone else’s shoes’, engaging all of your senses, trusting your gut instincts, and allowing your subconscious thoughts to percolate into your conscious mind where they can be processed cognitively.
Do you consider yourself to have a strong ‘sixth sense’ or ‘intuitive compass’? In this blog I will explore ways that you can fortify your intuitive intelligence by learning to flex your intellectual muscle while simultaneously tapping into your emotional instincts. This will help you Create Your Own Luck in life and business.
Cognitive “Book Smarts” Vs. Intuitive “Street Smarts”
How do you define intelligence? Linda Gottfredson is a professor of educational psychology at the University of Delaware and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Project for the Study of Intelligence and Society. In a paper entitled “Intelligence and Social Policy” she describes intelligence as being “a very general mental capability … not merely book learning, a narrow academic skill, or test-taking smarts … it reflects a broader and deeper capability for comprehending our surroundings –‘catching on’, ‘making sense’ of things, or ‘figuring out’ what to do.”
For simplification, I take a two-pronged approach when categorizing types of intelligence: “Book Smarts” and “Street Smarts.” To be a successful strategic manager you need a healthy balance of both book smarts and street smarts. Under this split-model, I look at ‘Book Smarts’ as having to do with facts, reason or analysis, or what I call “Cognitive Intelligence”; ‘Street Smarts’ includes anything having to do with instincts, emotions and personality types, or what I call “Intuitive Intelligence.”
Clearly you can beef up your cognitive intelligence by exposing yourself to new ideas, studying hard and learning facts. But how do you go about fortifying your intuitive intelligence? I believe that exploring new and unfamiliar territory, interacting and genuinely engaging with people from all walks of life everyday is the best way to raise and sustain your intuitive IQ.
One of my biggest concerns with the digital age — and the two dimensional virtual reality so many of us are sequestered to — is the social isolation and visceral disconnect that is created by social media and digital devices. The disconnection from our emotional and intuitive intelligence makes each of us less competitive in our personal and global economy. Human beings are social animals. We need lots of enriched and varied interpersonal connections if we are to maximize our full cognitive and intuitive potential. Staying inside, at home in your basement playing video games does not flex your intuitive intelligence!
La Dolce Vita & Emotional Connectedness
As an Italian American, family, faith and food were the foundation of the social and economic culture that I grew up in. Both of my parents were in the grocery business, which fit their Italian values and priorities perfectly. My mom, Pearl, worked the meat counter at the local grocery store and my father, Joe, was the general manager. My parents were not academics and didn’t necessarily excel in the ‘book smarts’ department — neither of them went to college. But they had intuitive genius and the ability to understand human nature and read complex emotional cues which they mastered by navigating generations of complex family dynamics and in their daily professional relationships.
I learned from watching my father manage the local grocery store that the ability to connect emotionally with people is more important than analytic skills when it comes to truly understanding what the customer wants. Managing a community grocery store is a microcosm for any business organization. As the manager of the food market, my dad had to master the unique combination of overseeing the operation of both goods and services; formulate and implement a business strategy; as well as develop and use analytical methods. But most importantly, he needed to connect emotionally with his customers, which required intuitive intelligence.
As a teenager, I worked in the family grocery store too and learned firsthand how-to create happy customers by being authentic, asking questions, listening and having a positive attitude. The customer service I practiced working at the grocery store wasn’t something that I could learn in the library or by being isolated in an office cubicle or behind a computer screen focusing on my ‘book smarts.’ But, I knew that to live the American dream I needed a balance of both book smarts and street smarts, which is why I pursued a college degree and MBA. But I never forgot the powerful lessons and habits that were part of the gifts of my youth.
At the beginning of my career I had traditional desk jobs but soon realized that I needed a sense of adventure and exposure to new places and people to keep myself fully engaged and maximize my full potential. Luckily, as my career began to take off I began traveling internationally and was exposed to a wider and wider range of cultures, people and places which bulked up my intuitive intelligence and made it possible for me to become successful in the world of finance.
Before my third year at Boston College back in 1980, I spent the summer waiting tables in Bar Harbor, Maine. Being a waiter in a high quality, fast-paced restaurant was one of the best experiences I could have had for improving my Intuitive Intelligence and people skills. In order to get a great tip I learned how to read people and fine-tune my style based on the specific personality of a customer, or group of people. I learned to have good manners, etiquette, listen very closely to what they ordered, casually use a ‘sales light’ approach and ‘up-sell’ them. . . All the while, maintaining a laid back, authentic but dialed-in professional disposition. My attitude was always upbeat, inquisitive and friendly.
Waiting tables is an excellent way to fortify your intuitive intelligence because you get instant positive or negative reinforcement based on the percentage of tip you get from each table. And because the personality type of every table is so different you learn how to slightly change your approach—like a chameleon would—to make your customer’s dining experience as enjoyable as possible, which results in better tips. I highly recommend that all high school and college students spend a summer waiting tables. The skills you learn will help you for the rest of your life.
It’s important for all of us to foster our intuitive intelligence by observing people closely, identifying the subtle differences of personality types and celebrating and being open minded to the diversity of human beings. Anytime you have the chance to people watch you should do it. If you are stuck in an airport, on the subway or sitting in a coffee shop—look up from you life and lose yourself in the people around you. Make people watching into a game. Try building a full character and narrative around each person. Put yourself in the shoes of the person you are observing and imagine what his or her daily routine is like…What makes this person tick? Would you want to be friends or romantic partners with this person? What type of work and hobbies do you think he or she does? What overall ‘vibe’ do you get from the person?
The Myers-Briggs Personality Index
In a business seminar years ago I learned about the Myers-Briggs Personality Index which is a systematic way of categorizing different types of people. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality index which was originally developed by Carl Jung. From Jung’s original concepts, Briggs and Myers developed their own theory of 16 different psychological types. Here is a link that describes the 16 personality types: http://www.personalitypage.com/high-level.html Which of these personality types best describes you?
Studying this index and learning the different personality types can create a short-hand for reading people more quickly and ‘tagging’ them. But remember, you can never really judge a book by its cover. People are very complex. Don’t ever pigeon-hole yourself or your clients. Use this index as a tool to begin to see a thumbnail sketch of a person’s complex personality and idiosyncrasies.
To take an online Myers-Briggs test and find out what your four letter combination is click here: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
The key to emotional connection is learning how to be a great listener and ask appropriate questions that help you get to know someone better. But, beyond the words you hear it’s important to pay attention to all the other cues you pick up on that go beyond language. Keep you antennae up and pay attention to: body language, a person’s sense of style, haircut, jewelry, eye contact, tone of voice, sense of humor, overall ‘aura.’ Try to take it all in. What statements is this person making consciously and subconsciously? Paying close attention to the full spectrum of cognitive and intuitive output someone is emitting is how you learn to read people. But this takes practice! So, even if you’re not a social creature force yourself to be more socially engaged and expose yourself to all types of people from all walks of life because this will fortify your intuitive intelligence.
I recommend the following links to assist you in fine-tuning your ability to understand and learn from the myriad of non-verbal cues.
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574348493483201758.html
Intuitive Intelligence is Key to Creativity and Innovation
Intuitive intelligence is the wellspring of creativity and innovation. Being holed up inside, plugged into a digital device and disconnected from face-to-face interactions dulls your intuitive intelligence and makes you less competitive in a tight job market. If you spend too much time watching TV, on your computer or smart phone where information and entertainment is spoon fed to you your intuitive intelligence will shrivel and you’ll end up sabotaging your chances for success. On the flip side, the time you spend unplugged from digital devices, meeting new people, traveling, exploring nature, moving your body, bonding intimately with family and friends will fortify your intuitive intelligence and make you more likely to Create Your Own Luck and truly succeed.
{ 0 comments }
