Leadership: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences & Personal Attributes!

There have been tonnes of debates on Leaders Vs. Managers. This went to the extent of vilifying managers as donkeys, idiots, senseless, moron, machines, robots and tools! This is so unfortunate that the attributes which makes one a leader is defined as a superior gene, that are available with only certain people. Like people evolve by experiences, leadership as a concept is also evolving with age and experiences.

Like kinds of intelligence (http://skyview.vansd.org/lschmidt/Projects/The%20Nine%20Types%20of%20Intelligence.htm)

 The theory of multiple intelligences is a theory of intelligence that differentiates it into specific (primarily sensory) "modalities", rather than seeing intelligence as dominated by a single general ability. This model was proposed by Howard Gardner in his 1983 book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Gardner articulated seven criteria for a behavior to be considered an intelligence.
Gardner chose eight abilities that he held to meet these criteria: musical–rhythmic, visual–spatial, verbal–linguistic, logical–mathematical, bodily–kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. He later suggested that existential and moral intelligence may also be worthy of inclusion.

 In the context of knowing leadership, it is advisable to read the Situational Leadership Theory.  (The situational leadership theory,is a leadership theory developed by Paul Hersey, professor and author of the book Situational Leader, and Ken Blanchard, leadership guru and author of The One Minute Manager, while working on the first edition of Management of Organizational Behavior (now in its 10th edition).The theory was first introduced as "Life Cycle Theory of Leadership".During the mid-1970s, "Life Cycle Theory of Leadership" was renamed "Situational Leadership theory".)

  We need leadership at all the levels; thought leadership to execution excellence, marketing to services, concepts to products and services, dreams to realities. A brilliant idea from a genius may find no takers, if there are no leaders who can find sponsors for those ideas, thought leadership does not see light of the day. China led in manufacturing excellence, which was execution. Anyone who runs with an idea, products and services ahead of the herd is a leader and all those who make this mission possible, are leaders. We need leaders at all levels and unless the whole value chain is not filled with leaders, leadership vision do not travel the desired path and direction with magnitude. Leadership creates the obvious difference for anyone to notice by its interventions. A leader is someone who brings that change, everyone needed and knew about but no one took it up. To sustain leadership position, one needs systems, processes and there we need managers. If managers are not leaders, leadership advantage may be short-lived.

  I would like you to relate leadership with intelligence and that will help us find what behaviors are called intelligent and what all intelligent steps that a leader takes that makes him a leader. Leader has to be insightful, visionary and that is not possible unless he has certain unique and evolved levels of intelligence.

  Special intelligence makes a leader out of ordinary people and there to some extent genes play a role but intelligence is the set of behavior that defines all essential ingredients for the best results in any situation but to apply them is the real thing. A leader applies them taking advantage of opportunity, taking risks, move with courage and is ready to face resistance, criticism and push-backs on the way! Here certain values of individuality that is again built out of experiences and convictions in a leader helps him accomplish goals!

  So, leadership has two components; ingredient and toppings/dressing/seasoning, wherever you call it.