RSS“Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education is not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Press on!” Calvin Coolidge.
Calvin is correct. Character will trump IQ most of the time. In my 40 years of managing people at The Big Phone Company, I have frequently seen people of limited IQ (black and white) succeed based on strong character traits. I have just as frequently seen high IQ individuals fail because of character flaws.
Probably 10% of jobs can be successfully done only by high IQ individuals.
And probably 10% of individuals lack the IQ to do any productive work.
But for the most part, IQ is overrated and character underrated.