This work presents the final word on what traits make for highly successful managers and a detailed explanation of how to identify potential standout performers. "Executive Intelligence" is about the substance behind great leadership. Inspired by the work of Peter Drucker, who first identified the attributes of effective executives, and Jim Collins, who showed the paramount importance of getting the right management team together before finding the right strategy, Justin Menkes set out to isolate the qualities that make for the 'right' people. In a sense, Menkes work reveals an executive IQ, the cognitive skills necessary in order to excel in senior management positions. Contrary to our popular assumptions, star leaders have many different sorts of interpersonal styles, they are not all warm, empathetic, or overtly charismatic. But they do have one common, consistent trait, they are all sharp. And they are sharp in the specific ways that constitute "Executive Intelligence": they readily differentiate primary priorities from secondary concerns; they identify flawed assumptions; they anticipate the different needs of various stakeholders and how they might conflict with one another; and they recognize the underlying agendas of individuals in complex exchanges. Menkes is a passionate advocate for finding and employing the most talented people, especially those who may have been held back by external assumptions.

About the Author

Justin Menkes is a Managing Director of the Executive Intelligence Group, a leading provider of executive assessment services to major corporations around the globe and an exclusive partner of Spencer Stuart, the world's preeminent executive search firm. He has been cited by Malcolm Gladwell for his work on intelligence and has trained other psychologists in best practice techniques and is widely recognized for his expertise in managerial assessment.

Reviews

On the heels of bestsellers about emotional intelligence and multiple intelligences have come titles on moral, cultural, social and visual intelligence. Consultant Menkes introduces the concept of executive intelligence, which he characterizes as "a blend of critical aptitudes that guide an individual's decision-making process and behavioral path." Menkes collects terrific first-person anecdotes of corporate failure and success, but the stories don't necessarily prove what he wants them to. With 20/20 hindsight, he attributes every setback-whether caused by shortsightedness, venality, stubbornness or simple bad timing-to some CEOs "severe lack of Executive Intelligence." And of course, EI gets credit for every decision that happened to pan out. The book's second half convincingly debunks time-honored techniques for assessing executive acumen and abilities; researchers, Menkes argues, "have for too long been enamored with attributes, such as personality and style, that are only tangentially related to how well executives actually do their job." But the author's surprisingly skimpy research doesn't clinch his case for replacing traditional hiring practices with EI-focused interviews. And it doesn't help that Menkes is unclear whether EI is ingrained or learned. Are we stuck with the EI we were born with, or is it something we can work on? If the former, why should general readers worry about it? (Nov.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

"This will transform the way companies hire, promote and evaluate senior-level employees. It is nothing less than a revolution."--James M. Citrin, board director and practice leader, Spencer Stuart, and coauthor of the national bestsellers The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers and You're in Charge, Now What