some have powerful visual senses. Some of us are very good at visu-
alizing, some very good with people. But these intelligences are not
set in stone, they can be acquired to a considerable extent. We all
inherit certain characteristics—our nature—but can develop con-
siderably—our nurture. Most of us can develop all the intelligences
considerably, even if we cannot become world beaters in every area.
Each of your ten intelligences can help you be more success-
ful at work and at home. To be fully creatively developed, you need
to realize your potential in as many of your intelligences as possible.The multiple intelligence workplace
Remember the underlying argument of this section, that a prime
source of competitive advantage in a business is its capacity to
release the creativity of its employees. From what we know about
how this is done, we can say with growing certainty that it will be
likely to be achieved if there is a culture in which each employee is
encouraged to develop their full potential.
Remember, too, that releasing your creativity is a key com-
ponent of learning to learn, and therefore of developing your nat-
ural intelligence. When the Campaign for Learning asked the
British public about their attitudes to learning, the phrase
“Discover the hidden talents within you” was found to be the one
most likely to motivate them.
At first glance, you may not immediately see how the idea of
multiple intelligences can be applied to the workplace. How could
it be advantageous, for example, to develop someone’s musical or
physical intelligence at work, unless you are in the music or leisure
industries? Surely, this is what you learn at school or at home.Look at the chart opposite. Use it to work out what might be different if you really wanted to
help people harness more of their intelligences in your workplace.158 Power Up Your Mind