Why Intelligent People Fail

Here are what intelligent people do that cause them to lose when they really want to win

Telling the truth is key

If you have a bad cold, say it. Don't sneeze and say it's dust in the air. People will give you more credit for telling the truth. And in the leadership program, we always ask people to remember that telling the truth is not spilling your guts. It's just a short sentence to acknowledge what is happening.

Everyone matters and everything matters

Find a way to talk about the basic human needs, that can be fulfilled without being for one group and against others. The more you can connect with the deeper needs of people, you'll be successful. We all want to be heard and acknowledged.

Personal Biases

Many times, your own bias will keep you from seeing and hearing what others are saying. Of course, you can only see the world through your own filters. However, the more you know about your biases, the better you can put your ear to the ground and hear those you tend to dismiss or disagree with.

Some people let their personal difficulties interfere grossly with their work. During the course of life, one can expect some real joys and some real sorrows. Maintaining a proper perspective is often difficult. People may not reach peak performance because they avoid the really important challenges in life. Even some very intelligent people have very short attention spans.

Smart People

The next way smart people fail in life, because smart people are afraid of adapting. Let me explain why. When we have to change, it means that the existing us isn't good enough. And smart people don't like it to be known that they're not good enough. Smart people have been told they're smart all their lives. And now all of a sudden I'm telling you that you're not good enough and have to change? Yes, you're not good enough. You and I are not good enough to get to the next level we want in life. You have to adapt and change to be able to get there.