# Is intelligence the most important leadership quality? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 22, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963 "2004-08-22T11:50:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963/21 "2004-08-23T01:12:21Z")
First of all the Lovenstein site is bullshit and their scoring is ridiculous. Clinton is John Nash / Steven Hawking smart while the Bushes are borderline functioning retards? Please. > [@elucidator](#): > > To Hell with “leaders”! Fuck 'em! However smart they may be, sooner or later they fuck up and people die. To my mind, the whole point of democracy is to elect representatives, not leaders. I have no interest in being led, I am instantly suspicious of any man who pretends to be qualified. > > If the people lead, the leaders will follow. They are _ours_, we are not _theirs_! Problem is that doesn’t work in reality. A person leads. A person makes decisions and takes responsibility. “People” don’t lead except in the form of mob mentality. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963/22 "2004-08-23T01:21:18Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > …Problem is that doesn’t work in reality. A person leads. A person makes decisions and takes responsibility… Because it has not been done does not mean it cannot be done. > [@](#): > > “People” don’t lead except in the form of mob mentality “Your people, sir, is a great beast” - Alexander Hamilton. Always prefered Paine, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963/23 "2004-08-23T03:59:59Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > I’m not sure people will vote for him merely to get another four years of belly laughs. [SHAMELESS BUSH-WHACK] Why the hell not? What else could he possibly do to worsen our current position? 😃 Kerry doesn’t provide much humor grist. He is NOT presenting a friendly appearance–too serious. [/SHAMELESS BUSH-WHACK] ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963/24 "2004-08-23T13:58:59Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > To Hell with “leaders”! Fuck 'em! However smart they may be, sooner or later they fuck up and people die. To my mind, the whole point of democracy is to elect representatives, not leaders. So what you’re saying, then, is in all situations, our elected officials should take a poll of their constituents, and then act on what the majority want? Doesn’t seem practical to me. And yes, people die when our leaders make bad decisions. People die when they make the right decisions too. It’s sad, but that’s what happens when diferent cultures, drives, and even varying levels of information clash. I would rather have an intelligent person in charge than a charismatic person in charge. I believe that an intelligent person will make the right, although sometimes hard, decision, but a leader who relies on his/her charisma will only pick the option that makes them look better. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963/25 "2004-08-23T14:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] So what you’re saying, then, is in all situations, our elected officials should take a poll of their constituents, and then act on what the majority want? Doesn’t seem practical to me. It does to Bush. The problem is. his constituent is God. Now, it´s probably a coinincidence, but GW´s constituent seems to favor the un-needy - the “haves and have mores,” as the resident Moron in Chief likes to characterize them. I guess all this stuff about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and giving drink to the thirsty, comes from a different God for a different set of people. Kind, loving people. I wonder who they might be. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963/26 "2004-08-23T14:40:43Z")
Well the bias of the institute is beyond doubt… 🙂 Still those same Bushisms on the side seem to indicate that Bush is no genius. I’ve seen his IQ posted as 105 or 108… which is average… 98 is not dysfunctional actually… its right on average. Bush Senior is certainly smarter than his son too… he was the CIA director if that means anything. I’d say republicans were more “leader” types and democrats “smarter” types… but that would generalizing. Do notice that Sharon Stone is supposed to be near or above 145 IQ … which would make her smarter than most presidents of both parties… sad. ``` In the end presidents don't govern alone... they have staff (or handlers) to help them out. Advisors of all sorts. Intelligence helps and certainly intelectual curiosity means a president would learn whilst in office more. So intelligence is important. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963/27 "2004-08-23T15:25:12Z")
I’m sorry, I thought this thread was in GD, not in The Pit. And can we please stop using that absurd list in the OP as a basis for this discussion? As stated time and time again, this is merely a prank website with absolutely no basis in reality. Unless, of course, the subject isn’t to debate whether intelligence is the most important leadership quality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-intelligence-the-most-important-leadership-quality/260963.md?page=1)