Enthusiasm is Worth 25 IQ Points

by Charlie Anastasi , VP of Academic Partnerships

You are at the final stages of an interview process. Three candidates remain, each with their own superpower. Candidate A is the most intelligent candidate – you are blown away by her ability to analyze and solve problems. Candidate B is the most experienced candidate – even better, he has direct experience with the problems your institution is facing. Candidate C is the most enthusiastic candidate – they want the job more than Candidate A or B and their positive attitude is contagious.

Who would you hire?

A few weeks ago, Rize’s partnerships team flew into New York City from across the country to plan for the academic year ahead. Given the prevailing discourse in higher education, we started our time together talking about headwinds: FAFSA delays, demographic cliffs, inflation, and declining public confidence. It’s an environment that easily breeds a survival instinct.

The tone of our initial conversations was defensive. Instead of asking how we can exceed ambitious goals, we were asking what needed to go right to meet our goals. We were spending as much time analyzing the risk of college closures as we were planning to grow with the many small colleges that are innovating.

Throughout these conversations, everyone’s questions and comments reminded me how unbelievably brilliant my colleagues are. Intelligent analysis pervaded every conversation.

Our varied backgrounds at higher ed institutions, technology startups, consulting firms, and marketing agencies gave us multiple vantage points to every problem statement. We had a rich array of experiences to draw from.

But as I reflected on that first day with the help of a colleague, I realized these initial conversations lacked enthusiasm. Rather than thinking abundantly, we were approaching the future with a scarcity mindset. This was not a reflection of my wonderfully enthusiastic and positive colleagues, but instead a reflection of the way I organized the retreat. I had succumbed to the prevailing sentiment that things are really hard in higher education, and I conjured a cloud of “realism” over our meeting rather than giving space for optimism.

As I prepared for Day 2, I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Kevin Kelly: “Enthusiasm is worth 25 IQ points.” Within every team or organization that I have been a part of, the people who show up with a positive attitude every day have been more impactful than the most naturally gifted or seasoned people.

So Day 2 was introduced with a new theme: “Think Big.” We celebrated things that were going well and discussed growth areas with greater belief. We brainstormed new product ideas and moonshot marketing campaigns. Conversations were building on each other, rather than getting stuck in a volley of intelligent counterpoints. Bold statements empowered teammates to aim higher. Most importantly, we exited the day with genuine excitement for the future.

I am sharing this blunder and course correction, because I imagine many of our partners might face a similar challenge. Things are hard right now. Enrollment is down, inflation is up, but many colleges are growing and generating life-changing outcomes for students. Optimism untethered from reality is just a fleeting shot of adrenaline. But rational optimism is the fuel upon which intelligence and experience can thrive. Visionary presidents, passionate faculty, inspiring coaches, and cheerful admissions counselors can be core reasons why students choose a college. They create an environment that others want to be a part of and contribute to. Their belief in a vibrant future for their institution allows students to believe the institution will create a vibrant future for them as well.

As we head into this next academic year, we all agreed that we want our partners to feel our enthusiasm and optimism. We want to lift up our partners and tell the stories of the amazing work our partners are doing every day on their campuses. We want to be Candidate C in your partnership ecosystem. Intelligent and experienced, but ultimately defined by a contagious positivity and belief that we will achieve our shared mission.