I just read a fascinating article in Fast Company titled “The 3 Ways of Great Leaders.” The authors introduce a concept they call “contextual intelligence.”

I loved Daniel Goleman’s book on emotional intelligence (EQ). For what it’s worth, I’d like to do a book on Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) and dissect the different dimensions of the image of God. I loved Howard Gardner’s research on different kinds of intelligence in Frames of Mind. Bottom line: I think there are lots of different ways of being smart

In their book, In Their Time, authors Anthony Mayo and Nitin Nohria found one common denominator amongst all great leaders regardless of age or industry. “They possessed an acute sensitivity to the social, political, technological, and demographic contexts that came to define their eras.” They excelled at “sensing opportunities.” Mayo and Nohria call it “contextual intelligence.” They studied 1,000 leaders and came to the conclusion that contextual intelligence is “an underappreciated but all-encompassing differentiator between success and failure.”

Makes me think of the tribe of Isachaar. Scripture says they “understood the times.”

Is “contextual intelligence” another way of saying “be as shrewd as snakes“? Is it another word for “incarnation“?

The church ought to be off the charts on contextual intelligence. We’ve got the best frame–Scripture. But I’m afraid we barely get a passing grade. Too often we’ve gotten A’s in biblical exegesis and D’s in cultural exegesis.

That’s not a slam. It’s a challenge. We can do better.

I’m not suggesting we conform to culture. I am suggesting we understand it and redeem it and ultimately lead the charge in creating it.