Performance Intelligence in action… or not!

Have a read of this BBC piece relating to Tony Blair’s views of Gordon Brown.

A particularly useful extract is: Blair says Mr Brown lacked political instinct “at the human gut level” adding: “Political calculation, yes. Political feelings, no. Analytical intelligence, absolutely. Emotional intelligence, zero.”

Some interesting observations and helps to clearly understand why Mr Brown was ideal in the post of Chancellor (Analytical Intelligence High along with Political Calculation), but his lack of self-awareness around the lack of Political Feelings and Emotional Intelligence meant he would always struggle to be an effective PM.

If you’re Performance Intelligent, you clearly understand the world you have to perform in, you clearly understand your own personal talents and characteristics and you use this awareness to bring strategy to life by making sure all of your talents are deployed in the most effective way possible. Great leaders realise where they are lacking in certain areas that limit their potential and then connect with great people around them who cover those absent qualities. If you don’t understand and accept your own capabilities and capacity in the first place, you have very little chance of connecting with the right people who add to your own resources.

Had Mr Brown been highly emotionally intelligent, but lacking in Political Calculation, then he would have been equally ineffective as PM. So, when preparing for a change of role, you really need to run a full check on your Performance Intelligence and decide how you’ll step into the role from that point – simply carrying on as you have done in a previous role, hoping that your skills and experience will translate, may not be sufficient, especially if the cost of failure is so high.