Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.  – Stephen Hawking

I am sure some will argue with this premise, but for me there is a difference between being smart and being intelligent.  We all know plenty of smart people that we wouldn’t want on our team when solving a problem.  Smart people know facts – intelligent people know what do to with facts.

The ways in which intelligent people use facts is changing.  Twenty years ago we needed encyclopedias and books as resources to get information – as the place to find facts before truly applying them.  Today, facts and information are at our fingertips.  We are developing a new type of intelligence . . . we must synthesize information faster than ever before in human history.  We must literally process more information and apply to be productive and successful.

Being smart isn’t enough.  Knowing facts and processes isn’t enough.  To be successful in today’s work – to be Ready for Tomorrow – we must be able to synthesize the facts, process the information, create trusting relationships, and lead in a world dominated by change.