People like to tell that success requires good ideas and a clever one Strategy – so something that requires a certain intelligence. But maybe it's all nonsense, because it's often the stupid who are successful - because they live according to the motto: "Bold is cool".

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Too much intelligence just hurts

Actually, the thesis comes from a good friend with whom I spoke a while ago about a couple of old acquaintances - highly intelligent, but that was the topic Career is clearly on the wrong track. The reason, according to my friend: Intelligent People are more self-critical – and self-criticism is crucial to success ways!

A tip is therefore: Be as vehemment as possible - whether you're wrong or not. Because the more specific you appear, the more people believe it. I'm afraid there is more to it than you might think at first glance. But: to bring something vehemment over, what is wrong - I think only people who do not question themselves. And think about your own mistakes and claim something to stand out: That can stupider people actually better!

Intelligent people are more critical

Often, intelligent people also disrupt the processes in Companys: They are not only very critical with themselves, but with others, questioning work processes, can not adapt well, putting their finger on wounds. As a result, they make the bosses nervous, they could even cheer up the colleagues. So fire better right now!

Or is inflammatory Behavior again just a sign of stupidity - like Corinne Maier in The discovery of laziness attested because you'd better make yourself comfortable? Yesterday I read that in a career guide again Women would do well to adapt to the rules of the game and always be good Executive to hug. Good people who dutifully shut up instead of theirs Opinions to say: Unfortunately far too often common and in my opinion innovation killer no.

If you do not work, you have more time to think

With this thesis, I was recently confronted with an event. And she even agrees: If you munch out in your job day by day, you simply do not have to do your own actions.

Sometimes that might even be a good thing - but sometimes something (self)Criticism not hurt. In the Art, less about work, the authors also describe how work was historically used as a manipulation factor - very interesting. The fallacy in the thesis: Not all Hartz IV recipients are intellectual lights.

Intelligent people see through the games ...

...and just don't have any Lust in addition. Maybe not all. But some then become more of an existentialist. After all, why should you spin the hamster wheel all day when there is another way?

At this point you are happy to hear the frustration argument "These are people who did not make it!". Counter question: What does “make it?” Actually mean - because everyone has to make a compromise - right?

This is what science says: German personnel are not very interested in intelligence

This thesis was recently underpinned by a psychological study: According to this, German HR managers have so far shown little interest in the intelligence of their employees Employees. In the USA, on the other hand, intelligence tests as a recruitment criterion have long been recognized practice.

244 studies from Germany were based on the latest Methods evaluated - and the Bonn psychologist Jochen Kramer found out in a so-called meta-analysis: General intelligence is nevertheless an important prerequisite for high work performance and professional success.

4 Areas of professional success were examined

That means: It does not look so bad in the German personnel departments. Because the study has also examined very specific data on the influence of intelligence on four areas of professional success. These are:

  1. Work performance,
  2. professional learning,
  3. Income
  4. and professional career.

Thus, if an employee is selected with their intelligence in mind, he is likely to achieve a high work and learning performance with a probability of well over 80 percent - compared to 50 percent at random. According to Kramer's investigation, intelligence makes it successful!

Intelligence: Career opportunities are at 70%

The chances of the selected Candidate, make a career and a high Income to achieve, taking intelligence into account, is almost 70 percent. "Fluctuations are to be expected in these values ​​for professions of varying complexity," puts Kramer into perspective, but emphasizes the basic connection: "The more intelligent an employee is, the more likely he is to deliver good work and be professional successfully. "

Intelligence, i.e. the mental abilities of a person, was taken as broadly as possible in the analysis. “Only studies that took into account at least two of the three areas of mental skills - numbers and arithmetic, language skills and spatial imagination - were included in my study,” explains Kramer.

General Intelligent more important than mental skills

The basic assumption is that general intelligence is important in professional life instead of just specific mental abilities. Since general intelligence is not the only decisive factor, the Bonn scientist is now interested in the extent to which emotional or social intelligence, for example, contributes to success Competencies to have.

However, the question remains whether the formula higher intelligence = more success actually always applies or has its limits. Why, for example, are so many above-average intelligent people relatively unsuccessful?

The creative has ideas, the stupid she steals it and becomes successful

An example that often occurs in history: the first mover is not always the more successful one. Because most people only have to get used to new ideas, good ideas are usually often suspiciously eyed and smiled.

some good ones Idea is not fully developed yet! Bad luck for the first mover when the second mover simply takes over the idea, improves it and thus becomes successful. The creative-successful is at a disadvantage, the stupid succeeds!

I now put this consciously as a theses in the room - and look forward to an animated discussion!