My university degree is in psychology/sociology. While making my way through my academic career, I remember studying an inordinate amount about the I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient). While a measurement of intelligence may have some validity in psychological or sociological circles, I can think of few things less meaningful in the real world.
We all know people with great technical or academic intelligence who can barely survive, much less thrive, in the world in which we live. Any successful leader or CEO will tell you that they strive to surround themselves with people who are more intelligent than they are. Whatever value intelligence may have, it is a readily-available commodity in the marketplace that is not highly rewarded or compensated. There is a much more valuable but far less known I.Q. known as Implementation Quotient.
Every month or two for the last several years, I have had a working lunch with my friend Paul Wheeler. If you ask Paul, he would probably tell you that I mentor him, but in reality, I receive far more from our regular exchanges in personal and professional terms than Paul does. Paul Wheeler is one of those rare individuals that I like to spend time with as often as possible because Paul is simply the best at what he does.
Whether it’s Steve Forbes, B.B. King, Albert Pujols, Brian Dennehy, or Louis Gossett Jr., I love observing, studying, and interacting with people who pursue their passion at the highest possible level. Paul Wheeler is a realtor. Paul and his company Accent Realtors are consistently among the very top performers in our city, region, and state. Paul Wheeler sells more houses in a few days than the average realtor sells in a year.
I’ve had the privilege of observing Paul over a long period of time, and even though he’s my friend, I would have to state for the record that Paul is not smarter, better trained, or more talented than the hundreds of people whose performance he eclipses.
If you met Paul, you would find him to be very pleasant and unassuming. But the thing most people overlook about Paul Wheeler is the fact that he has an extremely high I.Q. (Implementation Quotient). At every one of our luncheon meetings over several years, Paul arrives with a notebook that describes the action items we discussed in our last meeting and how he has implemented them. Then during the course of our lunch meeting as we discuss various ideas, Paul writes down the thoughts that he believes to have merit.
Everyone has great ideas of their own or great ideas that are presented to them. What makes Paul Wheeler a superstar among a field of mediocre performers is simply the fact that Paul implements.
When it’s all said and done in our world today, there’s a lot said and very little done. We don’t receive rewards for what we think, know, believe, or study. We are rewarded for what we do.
As you go through your day today, think great thoughts, focus on new ideas, but be sure to implement them all.
Today’s the day!
Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082; by e-mail at Jim@JimStovall.com; or on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/jimstovallauthor.