The basic premise of Justin Menkes’s book is simple: just as math problems require a certain kind of quantitative intelligence, or relationships require the delicacy of emotional intelligence, strong business leadership rests on executive intelligence. Menkes has worked as an organizational consultant for an impressive roster of blue-chip companies and his experience shows in this thought-provoking volume. Clearly patterned after Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, the seminal book that explained a theory of multiple intelligences which might leave a person highly expert in one area but surprisingly deficient in others, Executive Intelligence provides a helpful analysis of the cognitive abilities which define strong leaders.
Three key areas of this executive intelligence receive significant attention through the book’s 17 chapters. The first centers on tasks, and executives’ ability to identify problems, devise solutions, and exercise good judgment in pursuing those solutions. The second area of intelligence is social, and revolves around executives’ management of relationships with others. Intriguingly, Menkes does not view the social component of executive intelligence as “charisma”, or a “good personality”, per se; more important than those qualities, he argues, is the ability to see others’ viewpoints, to be able to balance among competing views, and to communicate effectively. The third area of executive intelligence is more inwardly focused on leaders themselves, on their abilities to learn from their mistakes, and to adjust behavior to avoid repeating them. In each of these sections, readers will find a mix of real-world examples from the experiences of Fortune 500 leaders like Gillette’s Jim Kilts or AOL’s Jon Miller, and more theoretical arguments grounded in review of other management books and business-review articles.
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