Mark was always one of the smartest kids in his class. He’s done well in his career, but when he checks Facebook, he sees people he outperformed at school who have now achieved more. Likewise, there are colleagues at his firm who have leapfrogged him. Sometimes he wonders, “What am I doing wrong?”
5 Ways Smart People Sabotage Their Success
In-depth thinking isn’t the solution to every problem.
November 13, 2018
Summary.
Raw intelligence is undoubtedly a huge asset, but it isn’t everything. And sometimes, when intellectually gifted people don’t achieve as much as they’d like to, it’s because they’re subtly undermining themselves. Five things smart people tend to struggle with: Smart people sometimes devalue other skills, like relationship building, and over-concentrate on intellect. Teamwork can be frustrating. Smart people often attach a lot of their self-esteem to being smart, which can decrease their resilience and lead to avoidance. They can get bored easily. And smart people sometimes see in-depth thinking and reflection as the solution to every problem. Learning to overcome these habits could be just the thing that gets your career unstuck.