Title: Executive Intelligence: What All Great Leaders Have
Author: Justin Menkes, member of the Strategic Leadership Services practice at Spencer Stuart.
If you've ever wondered why seemingly talented leaders crank out some horrific decisions, Justin Menkes has some answers for you. His book, Executive Intelligence, covers some familiar territory such as the importance of people skills and accomplishing tasks, but it quickly moves onto less-explored ground and dissects how executives who either do not know their own weaknesses, or know them and refuse to adapt, can fall into some traps.
A healthy skepticism, he notes, is needed to ferret out the truth from the mass of information and proposals that surround executives. Less able executives have an almost mystical faith in optimism and positive thinking whereas their greater cousins will probe and probe to determine if a proposed action is truly well supported or merely widely accepted.
The first part of Menke's book sets forth his view of executive intelligence and the second part explores why it is not accurately measured in the applicant screening process. He dismantles the indirect way that organizations measure management skills and notes how they can "penalize people for oddities of style even when such attributes have no effect on performance." His examination of Past Behavioral Interviewing - and its drawbacks - should spark discussion in many a Human Resources department as Menke, who is well aware of the criticism of intelligence tests, notes that intelligence is the key attribute that the screening routinely misses. In doing so, he notes the gap between knowledge (often measured by employers) and intelligence (seldom so measured). The candidate with executive intelligence, for example, will exhibit a great sense of unexamined assumptions, including the flaws in the candidate's own reasoning, and the unintended consequences of possible courses of action.
I highly recommend Executive Intelligence. It is well worth your time.
This is great. Every detail in leadership is knowledge worth learning. With topics based on the less-explored grounds, the book will surely create a new experience for readers.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I've heard it said that degrees are more valuable as screening tools than anything else, i.e. if you are smart and dedicated enough to get an MBA it means at least you aren't a total loser. However, do we miss things with this? Can an MBA tell the difference between a genius and an above average plodder? Maybe not.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the study of leadership and management is largely an exercise in determining how otherwise accomplished and impressive people can make huge mistakes.
ReplyDeleteInteresting book. Leadership has a wide scope, especially if minute details are required.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if leaders learn those skills which they often ignore because of its value.