8 Types of Intelligence You Need at Work: It’s Not Just Academic Intelligence

When you hear the word “intelligence”, what comes to mind?

Exams. IQ scores. A tough interview question. That's what I think about. It's also what my kids think about – I asked them!

It's not their fault because, just like the workplace, schools (at least here in the UK) have prized one type of intelligence: logical, mathematical, rational over others.

The kind that shows up in tests. The kind that's easier to interview for. The kind that shows up on a lot of job adverts.

But here’s the truth: there are at least eight..likely more.

And if you only reward one, you’re leaving 7/8ths of human potential untapped.

Here's a podcast, or read on for more.

I recorded this podcast over lunch at Avington Park, a wonderful estate just outside of Winchester. It was cold. There were some menacing looking bulls. The swans were circling. Some bird watchers were hanging around. You'll hear about that in the cast

8 Types of Intelligence You Need at Work

Let’s break the 8 down a little.

1. Spatial Intelligence (Seeing the System)

This is about patterns, space, and systems.

Some people can look at a business like a map. Pull a lever here, a ripple happens over there.

These are your systems thinkers, your architects, your designers. The people who see the whole game board at once. A lot of my content is about learning to study and see the system - you can identify some important and powerful levers to pull when you do.

2. Bodily–Kinesthetic Intelligence (Speaking with the Body)

Not just for athletes and sports people.

This is about using your body to communicate, persuade, and connect.

A strong stance in a meeting. A gesture that lands a point. The subtle art of body language.

Words matter, but bodies amplify them. You'll know I write and teach about this in the communication workshop.

3. Musical Intelligence (Feeling the Rhythm)

No, you don’t need to play guitar at work - although I know of people that do.

Musical intelligence is about rhythm, tone, and flow.

Great communicators have it. They know when to pause, when to speed up, when to listen.

The workplace has its own rhythm too — some people just feel it and can influence it.

👉 Check out this post on sensing and understanding the rhythm of a business.

4. Linguistic Intelligence (Choosing the Right Words)

The poets of the workplace. The wordsmiths. The great articulators.

They know how to take a messy idea and make it clear, sharp, and inspiring.

Pick the right words, in the right order, at the right time — and people are onboard and moving in the same direction.

👉 Check out this post on clarity, alignment and action.

5. Logical–Mathematical Intelligence (Solving with Numbers and Rational Thinking)

This is the one we test for.

Data. Evidence. Problem-solving. Logic. Rational.

It matters — but it’s not the whole story. If this is all you reward, you build organisations that crunch numbers but miss the human side of the business – and a lot of companies do this!

How many problems are really that rational? Are the competition being rational? Often, the best way forward, the best solutions and the best approaches are the creative ones, not the rational ones.

6. Interpersonal Intelligence (Reading the Room)

The skill of connecting with people.

Listening. Empathy. Building trust. Knowing when someone needs support — and when they need a push. Walking the fine line between being effective and being liked.

Work is relationships. And relationships need people who are good at forming and holding them.

7. Intrapersonal Intelligence (Knowing Yourself)

This is the one who knows themselves, understands themselves and, in many cases, are comfortable with themselves.

The ability to look inward. To understand your own strengths, fears, values, and motivations.

People with intrapersonal intelligence don’t just know who they are — they use that self-knowledge to steer their careers, their choices, their lives.

In all of my career guidance and communication skills training, I advocate for firstly getting to know yourself. Don't become someone else, be you - then amplify the positive.

8. Naturalistic Intelligence (Learning from Nature)

Step outside. Look around.

Nature is full of systems, cycles, and ecosystems. Organisations work the same way.

Naturalistic intelligence is the ability to see connections. To recognise patterns. To understand the organic side of work.

It’s less “spreadsheet” and more “ecosystem.” People with this intelligence can see change, swim with it, nudge it and play with it. They are learning from nature and understand that organisms (and organisations) cannot be controlled - they can only be nudged and influenced.

👉 Check out this post on Biophilic Design - bringing nature inside.

Why It Matters

If you only value maths and logic, you shrink your talent pool to a single intelligence. Don't be surprised if your 5% improvement this year is outdone by a company with an 80% improvement. Don't be surprised if your company loses the edge to one that's fully embracing and unleashing these different intelligences.

But if you embrace all eight intelligences, you open the door to:

• Richer ideas
• More diverse teams
• Better problem-solving
• Workplaces where people actually thrive

People are varied. People are surprising. People are more than rational and logic - they are rich with ideas, creativity and a varied intelligence.

And the best workplaces know how to use every kind of intelligence — not just the ones you can measure with a test.

Next time you’re building a team, ask yourself — who’s bringing the rhythm, the empathy, the systems thinking?

Because intelligence isn’t one thing. It’s eight. And the best work happens when you play with the whole set, and you nurture people's natural intelligences.