The Triarchic Mind

Robert Sternberg believes that intelligence is a "process" and not a built-in trait. This concept he calls "mental self-management". His theory: intelligence is a set of components that is exercised in three ways - internally (one's approach to problem-solving) - experientially (how one deals with new situations, and building on what's already learned - taking into account processes such as intuition, insight and creativity)- and contextually (how one functions in and adapts to different environments, whether the classroom, the boardroom or the squash court). Drawing on extensive research, which has taken him inside the offices of 500 executives, Sternberg explores the components of what he calls "tacit knowledge" - and "ticks of the trade" - what we were not taught in school and that cannot be measured by standardized tests.