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Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

scientificamerican.com

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Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#21

Post by mnm1 »

oblib wrote: post #5

When I was a kid my family would often chide me for using "big words" and told I was trying to "impress everyone" doing that. The truth is, I was just trying to relate something I'd learned and thought was interesting and every time that happened I was kind of shocked and left wondering how they'd missed the gist of what I was talking about. My own mother did it. I finally stopped sharing things I thought they'd atta…

Wow. I would never speak to my mom again after that. What she did is child abuse and I suspect this happens with regularity in a lot of cultures. I could forgive actual physical abuse but not this. I was the same way growing up except my parents were very supportive. While they robbed me of the fun of adolescence by being controlling, that is nothing compared to trying to rob one of learning.

Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#22

Post by invalidOrTaken »

oblib wrote: post #5

When I was a kid my family would often chide me for using "big words" and told I was trying to "impress everyone" doing that. The truth is, I was just trying to relate something I'd learned and thought was interesting and every time that happened I was kind of shocked and left wondering how they'd missed the gist of what I was talking about. My own mother did it. I finally stopped sharing things I thought they'd atta…

I'm so sorry this happened to you.

Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#25

Post by invalidOrTaken »

lostmsu wrote: post #17
QAPereo wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the same issue, and essentially developed a lingo to speak to those kinds of people. More contractions, dropped g’s, “fucking” used as an adjective. It’s been a couple of decades, and every time I switch to that, I feel like an utter fraud, but sadly it works. I can’t imagine what I’d do if that hadn’t been an option though. Edit: Support group at my place everyone, coffee and donuts will be provided. ;)

You forgot to add "fucking" in couple of places. :-D

"fuckin'"

Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#26

Post by Infernal »

zafka wrote: post #3

I would really like to see this study reproduced in an engineering environment. I wonder if the same trend holds, just a higher set point.

The article alluded to the point of diminishing IQ return varying depending on the industry - I think it would be interesting to also measure the IQ of the team behind that leader - I wouldn't be surprised to find the tipping point to be some multiplier of the median IQ of the team in question.

Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#27

Post by invalidOrTaken »

>The study’s lead author, John Antonakis, a psychologist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, suggests leaders should use their intelligence to generate creative metaphors that will persuade and inspire others—the way former U.S. President Barack Obama did. “I think the only way a smart person can signal their intelligence appropriately and still connect with the people,” Antonakis says, “is to speak in charismatic ways.”

This stood out to me. I would be interested to hear the thoughts of HN readers on this.

Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#28

Post by guelo »

WalterBright wrote: post #16

There could be something else at work here. My father told me that con men preferred to go after smart people, like doctors. The reason is that smart people thought they were too smart to get conned, and hence were more gullible. He was also an economist, and told me that there wasn't an economist born who could stand the idea that the economy would run better (i.e. free market) without their "help". And I've noticed…

> the economy would run better (i.e. free market) without their "help".

As if boom and bust business cycles aren't a thing in free markets. Or monopolies. Or monetary policy. Or externalized costs. Or tragedy of the commons.

That's just run of the mill anti-intellectualism.

Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#29

Post by steego »

WalterBright wrote: post #16

There could be something else at work here. My father told me that con men preferred to go after smart people, like doctors. The reason is that smart people thought they were too smart to get conned, and hence were more gullible. He was also an economist, and told me that there wasn't an economist born who could stand the idea that the economy would run better (i.e. free market) without their "help". And I've noticed…

> And I've noticed many smart leaders who thought they were much smarter than they actually were, and didn't need to listen to others' advice, leading to some very poor decisions.

There's a difference between smart people who are leaders and smart leaders. A smart leader should know how to hire smarter people and extract good advice/insight from those people.

Re: Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders

#30

Post by kingraoul3 »

Isamu wrote: post #9
oblib wrote: post #5

When I was a kid my family would often chide me for using "big words" and told I was trying to "impress everyone" doing that. The truth is, I was just trying to relate something I'd learned and thought was interesting and every time that happened I was kind of shocked and left wondering how they'd missed the gist of what I was talking about. My own mother did it. I finally stopped sharing things I thought they'd atta…

> "Why are you always trying to impress everyone by using big words." Yeah, I had similar experiences. I read a lot of books and absorbed their vocabulary, and sometimes it would slip out. I would just say what's on my mind, and that's what other people do, right? Then I would get into trouble also by pausing to weigh my words, people read too much into your pause before answering them. Or I just wouldn't say much, b…

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
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