Category Archives: intelligence

In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities

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“In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy — and if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.”

—Warren Buffett, American businessman, investor, and philanthropist

Image from Amazon

Warren Buffett has a pretty good record as an investor over many decades. A critical aspect in selecting great companies is to invest in the character and capacities of their leaders.

Hiring super smart people with boundless energy is certainly important. Buffett is adamant that the linchpin quality for these companies and their leaders — especially during challenging times — is integrity.

Without honesty and consistent adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values, things eventually fall apart.

EXERCISE:

How important is integrity in your hiring decisions and in those with whom you work?

How do you demonstrate personal and professional integrity in your words and actions to be a sure-fire hire in your communities?

Consider reading the book Linchpin by Seth Godin for other ideas on this critical subject.

Trusting in your natural intelligence and capacities

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Trusting in your natural intelligence and capacities to navigate life can be a source of great confidence.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Courtney Cook

How often do you lean on others to make it through your day? How frequently do others lean on you to do the same?

Regardless of your answer, if you are reading this post, you’ve made it this far and will likely do so in the future. What have you accomplished along the way?

What obstacles and setbacks have your worked around and overcome?

Exploring these questions may have offered you a booster shot of confidence by recognizing your natural intelligence and capacities to navigate life.

How can you remind yourself in the future when self-doubt creeps in?

EXERCISE:

What internal and external support structures can you use to maintain and expand your store of confidence?

How can you serve as a coach or mentor to support the confidence of others in your communities?

“Being able to think about how you think, is a sign of higher intelligence.”

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“Being able to think about how you think, is a sign of higher intelligence.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Jordan Whitfield

When was the last time you changed your mind and reconsidered your point of view?

How often do you find yourself frustrated by others because of their stubbornness or being set in their ways of thinking?

If you are brutally honest, you may quickly see that our paradigms, mental models, and biases run deep. We rarely stray from the path worn by many years of experience.

Today’s quote suggests that we can all exercise our thinking muscle and think about thinking to build the important capacity to improve our lives and better our world. We may also add a few more IQ and EQ points by doing so.

EXERCISE:

Feel free to respond to this post with tools or strategies you use to exercise your own thinking muscle. Consider picking up a copy of my book, The Quotable Coach – Daily Nuggets of Practical Wisdom, to explore 365 thinking exercises to use over the next 12 months.