I recently read a book titled ‘Tiger Traits’ by Nate Booth. Booth describes how the same 9 principles of success that Tiger Woods developed over his career, that have driven him to the highest levels in his profession, can also be applied in business and life.

There is no doubt that Tiger Woods is naturally gifted golfer. He was born with this ability. But he would never have reached the level of genius in golf had it not been for his and his family’s careful nurturing of this natural ability. The ability was the seed. Consistent watering and enrichment ensured the seed germinated into a prosperous, healthy, strong tree.

The extraordinary ability Tiger Woods has developed as allowed him to become the highest paid sportsperson in history and sports’ first ever billionaire. Tiger has used his immense wealth for the betterment of the community. The Tiger Woods Foundation established in 1996 helps millions of children from around the world reach their full potential, just like Tiger has.

Every single person on this planet has a unique set of gifts and talents they can put to great use. Everybody benefits when you can use your talents to their full potential. Even those who have seemingly little, have a lot to give. The level of genius can be reached by anybody through determination and dedication.

The key is to identify your unique set of talents.

In the early 1980s, Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard University, formulated a list different types of intelligence in his book ‘Frames of Mind: The theory of multiple intelligences’. They are…

  • Linguistic intelligence. This is the ability to use language to express oneself, and the ability to use language to learn new things and accomplish one’s goals. Simply, it is the ability to read and write and to communicate to others through reading and writing. Teachers, writers, poets, speakers and journalists have this as a native intelligence.
  • Logical-mathematical intelligence. This is the ability to analyse and solve problems logically and scientifically. People with this intelligence have an innate ability to detect patterns and reason deductively. Mathematicians, scientists, engineers and accountants are gifted with this intelligence.
  • Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. People who are gifted with this intelligence learn best and solve problems through muscular movement or doing something physically. They are generally good that sports or dance and may enjoy acting. People who are skilled at manual arts, making and fixing things also possess this natural ability. Athletes, dancers, actors, surgeons, builders and soldiers are highly developed in this intelligence.
  • Visual-Spacial intelligence. This is the ability to visualise and mentally manipulate objects and surroundings. It’s the ability to form mental pictures. People with this intelligence have very good visual memories, a good sense of direction and good hand-eye coordination. Painting, architecture, design and engineering are careers that would suit this intelligence.
  • Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. Having this skill allows one to work effectively with others. People with this intelligence are very good communicators and have a natural ability to connect and empathise with others. People skilled in this area are often in positions of leadership. Salespeople, politicians, teachers, executives and social workers all possess this intelligence.
  • Intrapersonal intelligence is the ability to understand oneself, one’s own feelings, fears and motivations. This intelligence can also be called Emotional Intelligence. Out of this list, it is possibly the most important intelligence because how a person controls his or her own life is a reflection of how emotionally intelligent he or she is. People who have this intelligence have an affinity for thought based pursuits such as philosophy. They also good at taking calculated risks. Philosophers, pscychologists, theologians, scientists and writers are examples of people who have a good degree of intrapersonal intelligence.

The problem with traditional schooling (from my experience anyway) is that it caters mostly to those who are linguistically intelligent and logical-mathematically intelligent. It’s not the subjects themselves, but the mode of teaching that makes learning difficult for those who possess the other forms of intelligence.

Most people would have found sitting in rows, being lectured to incredibly boring. And because traditional school fails to cater to the learning modalities of those who learn differently, many students never achieved the grades they were capable of achieving and deserved. The biggest fallacy here, of not having the best academic performance, is that many graduates think they could never be successful as those who did do well academically. Another case of learned helplessness.

Now, ask yourself, which are your natural forms of intelligence? What, in your life so far, as been the easiest to learn and easiest to do? Answering this question can give you a great clue in whereyour genius lies. And if your nurture that genius like Tiger Woods…?

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