The Intellectual Businessman

Businessmen, or businesspeople, are generally not considered the intellectual kind. You don’t have to go far to find a person who holds the belief that “to succeed in business, you don’t have to be really smart”.

I had never really thought about this until recently, when it was mentioned during one of the training sessions for my job, working as a solicitor of donations from alumni for the UWA Business School’s fund-raising campaign.

“Many businesspeople,” the trainer said, “find that though they lack not in money, they often feel they’re not given as much intellectual respect as they’d like.”

“Many alumni who are business people who return as mentors or guest lecturers find it a very rewarding experience.”

“Finally, they are able to feel respected for what they know; finally, they are able to feel respected for their intellect.”

I thought that it was a fantastic insight.

I like being intellectual

Personally, I like being considered intellectual. As much as I admire “plucky” businessmen and those who succeed due to their work ethic, it’s always nice to be thought of as smart — as intellectual.

But how does one combine the two?