By Daniel Bobinski
For years, organizations and educational institutions placed a high value on IQ, but in the early 1980s, Harvard professor Howard Gardner proposed the idea that multiple types of intelligence exist. Essentially, Gardner’s book, “Frames of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,” drastically improved our understanding of how we tick.
With the advent of Gardner’s theory, the question of “How smart are you?” should rightly been replaced with “How are you smart?” The nine types of intelligence identified by Gardner are:
- Linguistic Intelligence – skills involving spoken and written language
- Logical-mathematical Intelligence – skills in analyzing problems, doing math and investigating issues
- Spatial Intelligence – the ability to mentally comprehend 3D and 4D objects and issues
- Bodily-kinesthetic Intelligence – skilled in controlling body movements and physical surroundings
- Musical Intelligence – the ability to understand and often create music
- Interpersonal Intelligence – the ability to understand and interact well with others
- Intrapersonal Intelligence – the ability to understand oneself
- Naturalist Intelligence – the ability to understand what’s happening in nature
- Existential/Spiritual Intelligence – an innate ability to explore deep questions about life and its meaning
My definition of emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive and assess one’s own and other people’s emotions, desires and tendencies, and then make appropriate decisions for moving forward that provide the best results for everyone involved.
With that definition in mind, it is wise to learn about multiple intelligences. When one understands these different natural tendencies, one can better know the capabilities and preferences of each team member. This helps when training and also when delegating.
One might ask how IQ fits into Gardner’s model. The answer is, “Rather narrowly.” One’s IQ gives us an idea of one’s reasoning ability, so when we look at the nine different intelligences, we see that IQ is mostly associated with logical-mathematical intelligence, linguistic intelligence and perhaps spatial intelligence. That’s only three areas out of nine.
To say someone is not smart because one has a low IQ is often an incorrect statement. Consider the fictional character Forrest Gump. His IQ was 75, which means he would score low in math and verbal abilities. But in the movie, Forrest had phenomenal bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. He was an exceptional runner and he excelled at ping pong. In the Army, he could field strip and reassemble his weapon in record time. And, he could expertly pilot his shrimp boat through a hurricane.
Rightly speaking, the question never should have been, “How smart was Forrest?” but rather “How was Forrest smart?”
Years ago, an employee of mine had a son who was held back several years in school. She wisely recognized that he didn’t score well in logical-mathematical or verbal skills, but he had superior musical skills. She chose to remove him from public school, and in her homeschooling she incorporated music every chance she could. By her recognizing his musical intelligence, he actually got great scores on his GED!
Bottom line, everyone is smart in their own way. And we can exercise good emotional intelligence if we recognize and value the different intelligences in each person.
