Do smarter people make better leaders? The answer is no...and...yes.

If you mean by smart, only IQ, then the answer is no. There is no evidence to support the link between IQ and great leadership. In fact, there is lots of evidence to the reverse. If you mean by smart, emotional intelligence or EQ, as described by Daniel Goleman and others, who describe it as the ability to communicate postively with others at an emotional level, then the answer is yes. In addition, research by Goleman suggests that social intelligence or SQ, which requires the individual to understand social situations, play various social roles and influence others positively, and ecological intelligence or ECQ, which talks about our awareness of our place in the planetary ecological system, the answer is yes.

Howard Gardner, one of the foremost experts on human intelligence proposes that people use at least seven relatively autonomous intelligences, including linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal, and while they are not necessarily dependent on each other, they often act collaboratively.Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences proposes that people use at least seven relatively autonomous intellectual capacities - to approach problems and create products. 

We can add to these intelligences Success IQ, which is the street smarts version of intelligence and almost never taught in school. Success IQ is the ability to understand and apply the principles and systems on how to be successful in multiple contexts of life and work. There is evidence to show that the most successful people, in most realms of life and work, were never the ones at the top of their class, nor deemed to have been chosen "most likely to succeed." And while it may be argued that success is defined differently by people, most people accept some general measures of wealth, achievement, happiness, contribution to others and fulfillment as being valid measures.

It's clear from research evidence of failed and unsuccessful leaders in recent years that academic learning and training or natural intellectual ability alone is insufficient to prepare for and execute good leadership.

The good news is that emotional intelligence, social intelligence and success intelligence can all be taught and learned, providing individuals with the tools to become successful leaders. A greater focus particularly on success IQ by our education system, organizations and individuals would have a significant impact on greater numbers of individuals experiencing success in our society.