Overcoming the Challenges of Being Intelligent

“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime, and Punishment

People often think they are intelligent, if not in academics then probably in some other areas. Friends and society treat the intelligent people in a different way. Due to these conducts, intelligent people tend to develop certain habits that could be detrimental to their ambitions and growth.

Some of the challenges that are usually faced by the intelligent people are

• Value of hardship: Intelligent people mostly end up doing things quick and fast. They end up doing things easily or painlessly. In the process, they never get to understand the value of hard work. What an intelligent person needs to understand that if they put in extra, they will be able to achieve a result which is far superior to others and not just comparable to others.
• Correcting others: Everyone is either right or some wrong at all the times. Some people are more right at all the times, while others are more wrong at all the times. Intelligent people have a tendency or at least urge to correct the wrong of others. Most often, they will do it the wrong way e.g. correcting someone in a large group. Intelligent ones need to understand that they cannot insult someone, in the process of helping them or proving their point. Relations play a significant role in everyone’s success stories; hence, intelligent people should be sensitive to their ways with others.
• Over analyzing: Owing to the intelligence and knowledge of these people, they tend to over analyze or over think most of the problems or solutions. Intelligent people need to be smart enough to find out the practical way. They need to understand the importance and impact of each problem or solution and devote their efforts accordingly.
• Knowing limits: “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits” – Albert Einstein. Although, these limits have certain fallouts. It becomes very difficult for intelligent people to get into unknown businesses with hidden challenges. They need to understand that there is a thin line between stupidity and risk; risks are required to guarantee success.
• Expectation management: Because you have exceeded expectations before, everyone expects you to keep repeating it. This is not possible all the times. Each intelligent person needs to overcome the pressures of overachieving and manage expectations, based on the assignment and challenge.
• Perception management: “He thinks he knows everything”, when others say something like this about you, all it means that they are tired with your flaunting of knowledge. All communication from you should ensure that they do not build the perception of ‘only you know it’ OR ‘others don’t know it’. All intelligent people should learn to value and respect the intelligence in others.

Intelligent people have embedded in them, most of the qualities to achieve success. All they need is to sharpen and polish their soft and human skills. The combination of these skills can ensure far higher chances of succeeding in today’s business environment.