One of the things I have enjoyed so much about angel investing and working with businesses is that you come across people with a very wide variance in terms of skill set. But there is one feature which really marks out successful people in my experience; they are all very bright.

However, being bright in my opinion is not the same as being intelligent. For example, I know many people who have been to prestigious universities or have PhD’s (they are the worst!) who are very slow when it comes to getting the commercials in deals.

As a salesperson, you are often required to think on your feet and work out quickly the impact on your bottom line of discounts etc. I have written blogs in the past about the importance of understanding percentages – yet I am amazed at how many people don’t get them.

As an entrepreneur in an organization you will be required to make lots of decisions quickly without having the time to evaluate all the options. It is here that your brightness comes into play.

The smartest people I know left school when they were 16 – and have been phenomenally successful. Having said that I like to work with people who are what I call graduate-caliber. By that they understand how to plan for growth and are not constantly engaged in tactical thinking.

As with all things, it is about getting the right blend in an organization. I have recently had an experience of working with two very intelligent people but I found it very frustrating because when it came to common sense and the ability to interact with people they were found somewhat lacking.

And yet, intelligence (as in an academic sense) is still regularly cited as a key pre-requisite for success. To me I would say it is actually your ability to apply common sense to a situation and get on with people. With any skill set – if it is sharply pronounced, you may find it difficult to relate to people.

Having said all of this, when you get the winning combination of great intellect, brightness, charm and drive – back it!

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