Dirty Little Secret: Dealing With Quick Thinkers

Do you ever run into someone where they seem to be thinking and acting 100 miles per hour faster than you? I received two emails the other day:

Executive Client: "Rich — I don't know what to do — I feel like I'm an idiot! Every time I try to speak with some of my peers and my boss, it seems like I'm in slow motion, I know I have 20 years experience in the industry, but for some reason, they anticipate, decide, and outmaneuver me whenever I speak to them. Meetings are hell!"

Business Client: "OMG — my clients have me running rings around them for some reason! Every time I deliver something to them, they are 10 steps ahead of me requesting something else and adding 'Why didn't I do this . . . or that?'. I don't know if it's me or them. HELP!!"

Here's a dirty little secret: It's happened to me. It happens to EVERYONE. Quick thinkers are everywhere.

Here's why:

#1. They are truly gifted.

There are people out there who are really smart. They have the ability to assess the situation, determine their choices, and choose the best direction.

They are a wonder to work with and for — because they usually cut through the BS and take action. My estimate: 10% of the population.

#2. They are in the know.

Bottom line — they know more than you. They have more information, they know how people work, they know who can do what, and they've probably done this before while it's totally new to you. Or they are privy to information not disclosed to you.

You think they are better than you — but they're just a few steps ahead (and running quite fast to stay there). My estimate: 50% of the population.

#3. They are fearless.

They are supremely confident in their decision making and don't have that small trigger most people possess to stop and think about a situation.

This comes in handy during an emergency (like a car crash) where quick, fearless thinking saves the day. It is a ticking time bomb when it comes to strategic business decisions. My estimate: 20% of the population.

#4. They are faking it.

These are the hidden land mines in business.These people have low self-esteem and probably a personality disorder. They make assumptions and decisions so quickly it makes your head spin.

In addition, if you question them, their logic to back up their decision is unassailable in their eyes, while you go batty trying to understand their logic. Black is white — up is down. It's maddening.

Next time you are stymied by a quick thinker, try to diagnose who they really are.

Genius — Stick with them and do what they do. Knowledgable — Catch up to them, learn more. Fearless — Think strategically and double back. Fake — Stick to your guns if logic is on your side.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Having a hard time with a quick thinker? Let's talk.  Business and executive clients bring this subject up frequently. If you’re not a client . . . grab your spot now before the final spot for October is taken. Only one left — time is getting short!

Passing Of A True Genius: Norman Borlaug.

Agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in combating world hunger and saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday in Texas, a Texas A&M University spokeswoman said. He was 95. By Matt Curry & Betsy Blaney at The Huffington Post

Borlaug died Saturday night at his home in Dallas from complications of cancer, school spokeswoman Kathleen Phillips said. Phillips said Borlaug's granddaughter told her about his death. Borlaug was a distinguished professor at the university in College Station.

The Nobel committee honored Borlaug in 1970 for his contributions to high-yield crop varieties and bringing other agricultural innovations to the developing world. Many experts credit Borlaug with averting global famine during the second half of the 20th century and saving perhaps 1 billion lives.

Thanks to Borlaug, world food production more than doubled between 1960 and 1990. In Pakistan and India, two of the nations that benefited most from the new crop varieties, grain yields more than quadrupled over the period.

"Norman E. Borlaug saved more lives than any man in human history," said Josette Sheeran, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program. "His heart was as big as his brilliant mind, but it was his passion and compassion that moved the world."

Equal parts scientist and humanitarian, the Iowa-born Borlaug realized improved crop varieties were just part of the answer, and pressed governments for farmer-friendly economic policies and improved infrastructure to make markets accessible. A 2006 book about Borlaug is titled "The Man Who Fed the World."

"He has probably done more and is known by fewer people than anybody that has done that much," said Dr. Ed Runge, retired head of Texas A&M University's Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a close friend who persuaded Borlaug teach at the school. "He made the world a better place – a much better place. He had people helping him, but he was the driving force."

Borlaug began the work that led to his Nobel in Mexico at the end of World War II. There he used innovative breeding techniques to produce disease-resistant varieties of wheat that produced much more grain than traditional strains.