Why do highly intelligent people fail?

Has anybody used the term rocket scientist to describe your personality?

If your answer is yes, here is a little tale to help you understand why that might be a problem:?

In my early days, when I was working in the strategy team of a large company, I had a colleague in the finance team who could best be described as a rocket scientist. She was highly intelligent, driven, focused, and often outperformed most of her peers. Time and again, she was producing brilliant outcomes for the company, that no other team member could match. She was an asset to her function. Then it was promotion time. Lo and behold, she was not promoted. An average Joe in the team was promoted. Perplexed, she asked the manager why this happened and consistently received the same answer: “The role you are currently in is more suitable for your skillset.” With her career growth crawling at a snail’s pace, she decided to quit her job. A few years later, I met her for lunch and asked if things were different in the new organization. Her reply was negative.??

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In most of the large organizations, a significant proportion of people are average. This could be by design, especially in mature industries where providing growth to all may not be possible. Not every employee in the company will be a high achiever or exceptionally intelligent, just as not every mango from the same tree will be the sweetest.??

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It is seldom believed that highly intelligent individuals prefer to work alone. There are numerous reasons why, ranging from higher productivity to being able to think outside the box. Coming back to our person—the rocket scientist. She was constantly striving to outperform others to advance her career. Which in itself is never a bad thing. You do need to be better than others to succeed. But here are a few places where she went wrong:?

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1. She did not care about building relationships inside the workplace.??
2. The average performers felt threatened and did not want to work with her. She was perceived to be a poor team player.?
3. She would inadvertently disparage her peers by questioning them such that their shallow knowledge was exposed.??

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Do you see any similarities in the points above???

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The rocket scientist lacked proper workplace communication. Her lack of acceptance by her peers, even though she was among the best performers, hampered her chances for advancement in her career. It prohibited her from assuming management positions because those roles call for a positive working rapport with staff members. Another consequence of her unique work ethic was that other employees complained about her to the manager. It takes a multitude of other attributes to bring out your intelligence, rather than just intelligence on its own. As a result, she was faced with a similar situation even after switching companies.??

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Why did this happen twice to an individual known to be the best performer? How could she have made her work life better?

Below are a few attributes to make sure your intelligence is rewarded to ascend the corporate ladder quickly:??

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• Be a good listener and speak with consciousness??

Success does not have to be loud, only effective, and keeping strategically quiet at times is going to help you achieve that.??

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• Workplace empathy?

In any organization, it is imperative to be mindful of your words and their potential impact on others. It is always preferable to correct someone one-on-one if you find yourself needing to point out their error.??

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• Find a bright team within the company?

If possible, find a team that has attracted more intelligent people than average people. In such a team your intelligence will be respected.?

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Selecting an organization that values intelligence is also essential. Exceptional leaders drive exponential growth. There are only a few rocket scientists in any function or business unit, and it is in the company’s interest to protect, counsel, and help them succeed.??

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Have you been in a situation like this??

Let us know your experiences below.???