Flutterby™! : Leaders Can't Be Too Smart

Why People Dislike Really Smart Leaders — Those with an IQ above 120 are perceived as less effective, regardless of actual performance

The researchers looked at 379 male and female business leaders in 30 countries, across fields that included banking, retail and technology. The managers took IQ tests (an imperfect but robust predictor of performance in many areas), and each was rated on leadership style and effectiveness by an average of eight co-workers. IQ positively correlated with ratings of leader effectiveness, strategy formation, vision and several other characteristics—up to a point. The ratings peaked at an IQ of around 120, which is higher than roughly 80 percent of office workers. Beyond that, the ratings declined. The researchers suggest the “ideal” IQ could be higher or lower in various fields, depending on whether technical versus social skills are more valued in a given work culture.

Psychology Today: How Smart Should A Leader Be?

Can Super Smart Leaders Suffer From Too Much of a Good Thing? The Curvilinear Effect of Intelligence on Perceived Leadership Behavior John Antonakis, University of Lausanne; Dean Keith Simonton, University of California, Davis. DOI: 10.1037/apl0000221