By Jim Lombardo, CPCU, AAI, AIM, MBA, AVP of Learning & Development
Someone called me an intelligent thinker the other day. I had to look that up to see what it meant. LOL! Here is what I found at neuronation.com (and what I normally try to do).
1. Learn from your mistakes
Everything we do is a matter of trial and error. A baby cannot learn to walk without falling down first, and we cannot do better at work if we don't know what to improve.
2. Re-evaluate your views
The greatest minds of all time have re-evaluated their initial theories. When we think of intelligent, famous people, scientists usually come to mind – because scientists have to adapt to the constant stream of new discoveries influencing their life's work. Take Einstein, who altered his theory of general relativity, and famously said “we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them". Train your brain to adapt to new situations and information – you will only get smarter with time.
3. Recover from failures
The most intelligent of people make mistakes – renowned filmmakers release box office flops, and manufactures put products on the market which fail. It may feel humiliating and unpleasant when an idea which you think is genius is unsuccessful, but this happens to the best of us.
4. Make your own luck
Nobody achieved anything monumental just waiting for it to happen. Making smart decisions takes effort – you need to read, do your research, and work to achieve your goals.
5. Push for what you believe in
A smart person knows when to push for what they believe in and stick to it, even if the situation takes a turn for the worst. Intelligent people are like rubber bands – anything can happen and they can adapt to the change. There is a huge difference between not doing something because you might fail, and doing something despite the risk
6. Know that actions speak louder than words
We all know someone who likes to say how great they are. But intelligent people know that their actions speak louder than words. A study found self-evaluations to be not nearly as accurate as evaluations made by other people, who had watched the participants conduct conversations. If you want to be taken seriously and respected by coworkers and friends, let your hard work prove your worth.
Here are some upcoming webinars to make you more intelligent, including one webinar that brings you one step closer to a designation.
ABEN Little This a Little That: New Threats & Possibilities
Insuring Condominium and Homeowner's Associations
ACSR 7 Commercial Liability Insurance Webinar