Genius: Learning from Masters

Even the best and the brightest have a few tricks up their sleeve. Here's how to keep cool when you're head to head with a genius.

By PT Staff, published on March 01, 2006 - last reviewed on May 09, 2006

So-called geniuses are not only off-the-chart smart, they also know how to pose, says Martin Seligman. You can learn to dominate and to set a tone, to take charge of a meeting or presentation and to get your way using intellectual bravado.

When Lee Iacocca worked for Robert McNamara at Ford Motor Company in the 1950s, he tried imitating his mentor's style of summarizing—numbering his points to make any argument sound more emphatic.

According to Iacocca, "McNamara would say, 'I'm going to give you five good reasons why you don't know what in the hell you're talking about,' and then he'd tick them off." This can backfire. "When I tried that," Iacocca recalled, "I couldn't remember what the hell my fourth point was."

Sometimes the only way to learn from a master, says University of Michigan psychologist Chris Peterson, is to just "shut up and listen."

Inspire, Don't Perspire!

What to do when someone seemingly smarter than you holds forth at a business meeting or over dinner? Keep cool and don't back down.

The Extrovert Advantage
"Extroverts automatically are viewed as more intelligent," says Simonton, "whether they are or not."

The Criticism Caveat

We think we are not as bright as someone who criticizes us. Simonton cites a study in which participants continued to believe in their own shortcomings, even after being assured that the disparager knew less about the subject at hand.

Defending Your Territory

William James said he felt threatened if someone knew more about psychology than he did. But if someone was better versed in Greek, he wasn't particularly concerned.

Accept the Cards You're Dealt

When a quick-witted counterpart clearly has the better of you, it may be best to come to terms with the situation. A colleague of Enrico Fermi, the creator of the nuclear chain reaction, said: "Knowing what Fermi could do did not make me humble. You must realize that some people are smarter than you are, that's all. You can't run as fast as some people or do mathematics as fast as Fermi."