Intelligence

Intelligence is one of the many facets of “smartness”. Intelligence is the capacity to learn, but it doesn’t always translate into actually possessing knowledge. Having the capacity to learn does not mean that one has actually learned.

Intelligence is a highly valued trait in Lean, as continuous improvement works best in a learning organization—one that assesses shortcomings and seeks understanding about why problems happened. People are also often asked to use new tools or work outside their comfort zone, both of which benefit from intelligence.

Intelligence works hand in hand with knowledge, the actual usage of intellectual capacity, and wisdom, the insight into how to best apply that knowledge.

Most people have a fairly good idea about their intelligence. I read about a study done years ago that asked people to estimate their test scores after having completed an exam. Most people were in the ballpark. The people at the extremes, though, were not. Very intelligent people tended to underestimate themselves, and the least intelligent people tend to overestimate themselves.