We have a very limited view of what it means to be smart and this causes us to overlook a wealth of potential genius. We disproportionally value innate abilities, measuring intelligence almost exclusively with GPA, standardized test scores, and kids’ abilities to answer questions quickly and correctly. We are quick to label those who don’t thrive in our rigid educational environments as “not smart,” “lazy,” or learning disabled. In doing so, we dramatically undervalue those who think and learn differently, suppressing a vast diversity of intelligence, causing crushing anxiety, and missing out on an incalculable amount of creativity, originality, and innovation. The Genius Gap asserts that our current educational and parenting paradigms have failed to keep pace with our growing understanding of the brain, how we learn, and the skills our kids need to succeed in a world increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to complete rote tasks. The Genius Gap will show readers, through the latest research, insight into the cognitive biases that drive our thinking and first-hand accounts that the unique ways of thinking and learning that many of those sidelined by our current system can be keys to success, especially in an era of artificial intelligence. Many of our greatest leaders, most creative inventors, and successful entrepreneurs succeeded outside or despite the system. Many of our greatest thinkers have been labeled dyslexic, ADHD, or Autistic, have been diagnosed with other learning disorders, or, for other reasons, have not succeeded in our traditional educational paradigm. 

Culturally, we often perceive deviations from the norm as deficiencies, overlooking the transformative power of these differences. About 20% of the population has been diagnosed with dyslexia.^[1] Among entrepreneurs, the rate is nearly double at 35%.^[2] A British study found that 40% of self-made millionaires have dyslexia.^[3] Similarly, although 5-10% of individuals have been diagnosed with ADHD, research has shown that 30-40% of CEOs have the trait. Successful leaders and artists Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, and Cher credit their dyslexia, and ability to harness the strengths associated with this difference, with propelling them to extraordinary levels of success. David Neeleman credits his ADHD with giving him unique strengths that led to his success as founder of JetBlue. The narrative around “disorders” is evolving. A growing chorus of voices and a body of evidence contends that conditions like dyslexia, ADHD, and autism are not merely deficits but inherent aspects of neurodiversity that impart unique strengths that, when tapped into, can have transformative advantages. 

Embracing a broader definition of intelligence can alleviate the rising tide of anxiety, reinvigorate stagnating creativity, and constructively embrace the integration of alternative intelligence in our lives. The Genius Gap offers a vital lifeline for parents overwhelmed by what we refer to as “achievement culture,” where children increasingly struggle with feelings of inadequacy and rarely think they’re “good enough.” It offers educators the justification they’ve been craving to teach differently. On their journey to understanding the gap in our definition of what it means to be smart – the genius gap – and to understand the need to redefine how we think about intelligence, readers will learn from:

• An 19th-century artist-turned-astronomer who inadvertently shaped the concept of “normal.”
  
  
• A nomadic African tribe that thrives by leveraging a unique genetic trait.
  
  
• Children who engineer complex balsa wood structures that are under a foot tall and support hundreds of pounds.
  
  
• A failed math student who became a rocket scientist and built a spacecraft that explored the universe’s outer reaches.
  
  
• A coach who transformed men who had never touched an oar into a world-class rowing team.
  
  

By reframing how we think about intelligence, The Genius Gap empowers readers to embrace a new definition of smart, one in which our unique learning differences are the superpowers we need in today’s rapidly changing world.

Our children are struggling. They are stressed out, medicated, and spending their valuable childhoods on activities that they don’t enjoy and that might not truly benefit them in the long run. Our youngest generation is filled with passionate, curious, smart kids, but we are educating and parenting the excitement and creativity out of them by pushing them down a path of conformity towards the finish line that is college admissions. 

Our kids are all born with unique abilities and they will be happiest if we worry less about making sure that they conform and follow a conventional path and more about helping them become the best versions of themselves. All children deserve a chance to express their uniqueness, that learning new things and unleashing our imagination are keys to happiness, and that being interesting is one of the best measures of a life well lived.

As a recovering “sherpa parent,” I’ve spent the past 10 years fighting the urge to drop violins off at school, call teachers about grades, and hire private coaches to improve tennis swings. To combat my innate, type-A parenting instincts, I’ve spent the past few years researching what makes people successful and found that those traits that help build strong, independent kids are not the skills we’re teaching our kids by over-scheduling them, increasing rigor in schools, and letting them specialize in one sport or activity at increasingly younger ages. We need to embrace our kids’ individualness instead of trying to mold them into well-rounded triple threats, checking boxes with college applications in mind.