Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success

by Karl Albrecht

Karl Albrecht defines social intelligence (SI) as the ability to get along well with others while winning their cooperation. SI is a combination of sensitivity to the needs and interests of others, sometimes called your “social radar,” an attitude of generosity and consideration, and a set of practical skills for interacting successfully with people in any setting. Social Intelligence provides a highly accessible and comprehensive model for describing, assessing, and developing social intelligence at a personal level. This book is filled with intriguing concepts, enlightening examples, stories, cases, situational strategies, and a self-assessment tool – all designed to help you learn to navigate social situations more successfully.

Genres: Psychology, Self Help, Nonfiction, Leadership, Personal Development, Business, Social Science

289 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2005

About the author

Dr. Karl Albrecht is an executive management consultant, coach, futurist, lecturer, and author of more than 20 books on professional achievement, organizational performance, and business strategy. He is listed as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in business on the topic of leadership.

He is a recognized expert on cognitive styles and the development of advanced thinking skills. His books Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success; Practical Intelligence: The Art and Science of Common Sense; and his Mindex Thinking Style Profile are used in business and education.

The Mensa society presented him with its lifetime achievement award, for significant contributions by a member to the understanding of intelligence.

Originally a physicist, and having served as a military intelligence officer and business executive, he now consults, lectures, and writes about whatever he thinks would be fun.

Reviews

[Rihab · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب رائع وممتع ,استمتعت بقراءته جدا.
يحاول ان يخبرنا كال ان مفهوم الذي يقول ان القدرة لعقلية البشرية نتاج صفة واحدة تسميى "الذكتء" انتهت فلم يعد هناك في العالم الحقيقي شيء يسمى الذكاء و قد حان الوقت لجلب مفهوم البروفيسور جاردنر الذي اسماه "الذكاء المتعدد" الى وعينا اليومي
يتكون الذكاء المتعدد من ستة أنواع رئيسية من الذكاء:
الذكاء المجرد
الذكاء الاجتماعي
الذكاء العملي
الذكاء العاطفي
الذكاء الفني
الذكاء الحركي
و هناك خمس أبعاد مختلفة لمفهوم الذكاء الإجتماعي هي
الوعي الموقفي
الحضور أو التأثير
الأصالة
الوضوح
التعاطف

[Nourhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

الذكاء الاجتماعي- كارل البريخت، ٢٠٠٦م

الكتاب مفيد فيه العديد من المعلومات الجديدة. تناول الذكاء الاجتماعي من خمسة أبعاد جديدة و قدم شرح مفصل لهم و هم: الوعي الموقفي، الحضور، الاصالة، الوضوح، التعاطف.
العيب الرئيسي في الكتاب بالنسبة للقاريء العربي، ان الكاتب اعتمد في توضيح افكاره إلى اللجوء لكثير من الشخصيات و مواقف المجتمع الأمريكي التي قد لا يملك عنها القاريء أدنى فكرة.
كما يظهر استرسال مطول في كثير من الفصول لا داعي له.

مقتطفات من الكتاب

- في هذا الكتاب يتألف الذكاء الاجتماعي من شيئين هما البصيره والسلوك، ويتجاوز استخدام التعبيرات اللطيفه من قبيل 'من فضلك واشكرك' والمجاملات الاجتماعيه العاديه، كما يتجاوز تلك الاشياء التي تسمى مهارات التعامل مع الناس ذات القيمه المفترضه في مكان العمل.
و بوسعنا البدء بتعريف الذكاء الاجتماعي على أنه القدرة على الانسجام الجيد مع الآخرين و كسب تعاونهم معك.
- إن اكبر عائق امام تعلم اي شيء جديد هو الاعتقاد بأنك تعلمه بالفعل
- صارت تلك المحادثه تجربه كوميديه في نظري. فبمجرد ان انتقل سريعا من إعجابه المصطنع  بخاتمي الى عرضه المتحمس للمنتج الذي يود بيعه، حتى قلت له : يبدو لي هذا كعرض مبيعات، هل هذا سبب رغبتك في التحدث معي؟

أنواع الذكاء 

١. الذكاء المجرد: وهو التفكير العقلاني الرمزي
٢. الذكاء الاجتماعي: و هو ما يتعلق بالتعامل مع الناس
٣. الذكاء العملي: وهو الخاص بإنجاز المهام والاعمال
٤. الذكاء العاطفي: وهو الوعي بالذات واداره الذات
٥. الذكاء الجمالي: وهو الاحساس بالشكل والتصميم والموسيقى والفنون والاداب
٦. الذكاء الحركي: وهو المهارات البدنيه مثل الالعاب الرياضيه او الرقص او عزف الموسيقى او حتى قياده الطائره

  أبعاد الذكاء الاجتماعي 

١.الوعى الموقفي: وهو القدره على قراءه الموقف وتفسير سلوكيات الاخرين في تلك المواقف وفقاً لاهدافهم المحتملة وحالتهم العاطفيه.
٢. الحضور: وهو المظهر و وضع الجسم و نبره الصوت والحركات الدقيقة.
٣. الاصاله: و التي تؤدي بالناس الى الحكم عليك كشخص صريح و ذو اخلاق وامانه ونوايا طيبه. ٤.الوضوح: القدرة على تفسير افكارك و صياغة آراءك وايصال المعلومات بسلاسة ودقه وشرح وجهه نظرك و افعالك وتصرفاتك.
٥. التعاطف: حاله اتصال وثيق بشخص اخر تخلق اساسا من التواصل والتفاعل والتعاون الايجابي.

   تمارين و نصائح  

١. راقب شخص يبدو لك عاجزاً عن التواصل مع الاخرين بسهوله حدد السلوكيات التي لاحظتها عليه والتي يبدو انها عوامل هذا العجز.

٢. راقب شخصاً يجيد التواصل مع الاخرين، حدد السلوكيات التي تمثل عوامل تجذب الاخرين اليه وتشجعهم على التواصل معه.

٣.عندما تشهد جدالا بين اثنين أو أكثر، قم بتحديد السلوكيات الضارة و الهدامة للتعاطف فيما ارتكبه اي من المشاركين قولا أو فعلا و أسهم في زيادة صعوبة حل الموقف.

٤.في قائمه صفات افضل رئيس عمل كانت المجموعات تدون التالي: -مشجع -معلم - يجيد تفويض المهام - يتواصل باستمرار - يمنح المكافئات والثناء - يعتني بنا - لديه حس دعابة - يدافع عنا امام الاداره العليا -ينتقدنا سرا،  وليس أمام الاخرين - ذكي - يساعدنا على التقدم - يتقن عمله جيدا

٥. احذف كلمه "لكن" من المفردات التي تستخدمها كلما امكنك هذا واستبدلها ب "و" كلما وجدت نفسك في موقف يتطلب منك ان تقول "نعم و لكن"

[Mariana]

El libro me encantó, está muy bien explicado, con ejemplos y con ejercicios.
Existen múltiples tipos de inteligencias y aquí se desarrolla la social.
Recomendable 100%
Es un libro para consultar permanentemente. Los temas que tratan no son nuevos, lo valioso es que están compilidos, que hay ejemplos, y ejercicios. .Algunos de los temas tratados son: astucia social, empatía, judo verbal e inteligencia social organizacional, entre otros.

La conciencia situacional determina nuestra respuesta en situaciones sociales. Esta supone valernos de nuestra intuición e inteligencia para decidir, por ejemplo, si debemos hablar o simplemente callar. El sentido de la oportunidad…cuántas veces tendría que haberme quedado callada..
La presencia tiene que ver con la impresión que causamos a los demás. Es la suma de nuestro lenguaje corporal, apariencia física y comportamiento. El carisma es nuestro nivel de energía social, esa cualidad intangible que atrae a los demás.
Para ser auténticos, debemos entender nuestras verdaderas motivaciones y objetivos. Hay personas que son socialmente inteligentes, pero que tienen menos “inteligencia emocional”. La claridad es nuestra habilidad de comunicarnos verbalmente. Los idiomas crean el ambiente en el que viven e interactúan las personas, así que los patrones del habla son de suma importancia a la hora de determinar cómo responden entre sí los seres humanos.
La empatía es un sentimiento de conexión o relación. Es la habilidad de entender los sentimientos ajenos. La empatía es necesaria para colaborar.

[Yaseen Hasanen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A complete waste of time

[Melisa Buie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every, EVERY business leader should read this book! Great analysis of business in the final chapters based on SI.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, not a fan mostly because of his culturally insensitive remarks about Japanese and Indian culture. Also, he has no formal education or training in this field and often references a much better book, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships by Daniel Goleman. If you want fluffy stories and unmemorable acronyms, read this book!

[Mohammad Ebrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب جميل جداً,استفدت منه الحقيقة,ازاي تشوف نفسك وانت بتتكلم مع شخص ما في موقف ما وتقدر تقيم نفسك وانت بتتكلم وتقدر تٌدير دفة الحوار
اعتقد ان قارئ الكتاب ده لازم يقرأ بعده كتاب علاقات خطرة,المعلومات المستقاة من الذكاء الاجتماعي هتحس بسهولة تطبيقها لما تفهم الشخصيات اللي انت بتتعامل معاها
كتاب اتصح به بشدة

[Widad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually wanted to give this book a rating of 3.5, but could only give full stars. Social intelligence was generally a very interesting book which is evident in my rating. Although very amusing to read, I took off 1 star as most of the time it only addressed social intelligence in the workplace. I took off 0.5 as at times it was unclear what the author was trying to say.

Despite these minor errors, the book provided great information on how to become a leader and a people person. It gave relatable examples, some historical situations, and helpful acronyms like S.P.A.C.E and S.P.I.C.E to remember the key elements needed to be that social individual. S.P.A.C.E was used for individuals who want to be the charismatic personality. Where S stands for situational awareness, P for presence, A for authenticity, C for clarity, and E for empathy.

Obviously this is not all, social intelligence also gives great tips for people with low networking skills. Here is one of them that I personally liked as an introvert: Sometimes making a friend that is a networker can help you do your part of the socializing. In addition to this, did u know that most of the best communicators are actually introverts?

[Youmna · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are already familiar with the concepts of IQ and Emotional intelligence (EQ)... there goes another one.
It has been known that people with a higher EQ tend to be successful leaders. In this book, Karl Albercht identifies another form of intelligence labeled Social Intelligence to which he attributes the reasons for success. To what extent his cause is plausible is left for interpretation. However, he does provide interesting examples and cases. A good book for anyone looking to shape his personality.

[Robert Korbel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Albrecht introduces many interesting points about how a person's personal biases affect their performance in a variety of social situations. While the majority of book focuses on interactions between individuals, it also offers the writer's own insight into the affects on politics and culture that these interactions have. In addition to providing an anecdotal theory on social intelligence, Albrecht offers techniques for the reader to reflect on their own social and emotional intelligence.

[Lukasz Nalepa · Rating 2 out of 5]

1It took me two months to finish this book. The concept of different kinds of intelligence (i.e. social one) is interesting, but the book itself is not that much. It could be useful for the people seeking reasons and solution to their lackings in social skills, but I as (an introvert!) did not benefit much from reading it.

[Shirin Abdel Rahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

عن الذكاء الاجتماعى يتحدث الكاتب، فارتفاع درجات فى الرياضيات و العلوم لا يضمن حياة اجتماعية ناجحة و لا حتى زواج سعيد.
الكتاب يركز على الأنواع الأخرى من الذكاء مثل الرياضى، الاجتماعى و العاطفى من أجل الحصول على حياة متزنة و ناجحة.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good information however the book was very dry and difficult to read. The author kept using unnecessary words and long winded sentences instead of shorter more direct ones. Much of the book felt like the author was trying to prove how smart he is.

[Kevin Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Not great. Not real bad. A lot of it was just common sense stuff.

[Rainier Moreno-Lacalle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading this book, I can't put it down. Highly recommended!

[Albert Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!

[Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Social Intelligence is useful

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that describes Social Intelligence in simple to understand language. Karl Albrecht's SPACE interaction theory was truly fascinating and impacted my understanding of Social Intelligence at a time when the concept had only just begun to enter the business world.

I love his use of social stories and would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Social Intelligence in an entertaining way.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was listening to the news and a recent strategy by utility companies is to put on people's bills how well they're conserving energy compared to their neighbors, which caused a huge uproar in the Northwest. Well, in Social Intelligence, Karl Albrecht has a section on peer pressure, especially in regard to the behavior of teenagers. We are very susceptible to peer pressure in our lives, being the social animals that we are, so its important for parents to understand how to deal effectively with their teenagers. It quotes from some very interesting books on how best to handle your teenager who is under tremendous pressure and stress from peers. It doesn't help to ignore that pressure, but its best to acknowledge it up front, help your young person see things in a little better perspective, and give them the confidence to deal with it in a more detached way. Teenagers have extreme emotions, not just because of hormonal changes, but because of inexperience. They can use the help of adults if we give it to them the right way--not by hammering them over the head with it, but if we acknowledge who they are and talk to them with some respect and kindness about what they're living through.

After reading Outliers (see below), I decided to explore the Karl Albrecht books he referenced: Social Intelligence, Practical Intelligence, and the Powers of Minds at Work (on Organizational Intelligence). Last night I read Social Intelligence, which describes S.P.A.C.E.: Situational intelligence, Presence, Authenticity, Clarity, and Empathy. Situational refers to context. You wouldn't yell in a Cathedral, and you wouldn't whisper in a night club. Its about appropriate action in context. Presence has to do with the sense you create as you enter a room by your words and posture--gravitas or flightiness; confidence or insecurity; humility or arrogance. He recommends watching a videotape of yourself or listening to a tape. His example of authenticity is Popeye ("I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam.") Like the genie said in Aladdin, "Be yourself." Evidently, its not so easy. Clarity is basically using simple words and sentences, just trying to be clear, not obfuscating (hiding the subject) with the big words. Empathy is connecting to people. All of these things can be developed and honed with practice and experience, but it takes paying attention. Learn from those you admire who excel in those categories. Its really not that hard to figure out, but a lot of people don't grow up with people who can give them these skills. Those who do have a big advantage--one of the points in Outliers. But the skills can be learned once we're aware of them, and we want to. That's very hopeful.

I will say that, depending on where you're starting, it might be more helpful to read Tongue Fu! by Sam Horn. That's a great little book. A friend of mine told me she'd just bought 3 copies for her children. Its got lots of practical techniques for dealing with difficult people and emotions, and its a fun and easy book to read.


A book he mentions with admiration is The Nurture Assumption, by Judith Rich Harris, who says that teenagers occupy a subculture with its own rules, and this is why children grow up with the language of their peers, not their parents. As with any subculture, our children have a world and a set of rules of their own, and our best bet is to recognize this, and provide our perspective in a dispassionate way.

My approach to the teenage years was to pass no judgments but to introduce my kids to the black and white perspective of astrology. It helps tremendously to have a chart with symbols on it that you can point to and say "you're going through a Saturn transit." Its not you, its just the passing planets. So we had a secret language together and it helped a lot.

[Sandra Soetanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the book, I notice that people should develop not only their intellectual intelligence, but also social intelligence. Albrecht define some ways to be socially smart, in a simple acronym SPACE. The book also describes some interaction styles, and to know in which styles you’re in is important to further develop the strategy to be a people person and earned a leadership. To those who’d like to enhance their social skills, this book is highly recommended.

[Student · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is mostly fluff and very basic. It obviously can't teach you anything practical but it can open the eyes of someone who is ready for it.
You can't learn to be 'socially intelligent' by reading a book, you have to be social because it takes experience to learn how to deal with people skillfully.

It is worth a quick read.

[Ręddą Othmąn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"فإذا كنت تعمل لدى شركة ما او تشارك فى اى نوع من النشاط الانسانى ، فإنك قد شاركت فى ممارسة السياسة الخاصة بهذا النشاط، ولو اعلنت انسحابك من اللعبة فذلك لايعنى انك صرت خارجها ، فليس لك اختيار الا تلعب، فإما انك تلعب بكفاءة او بغير كفاءة ، استغل فرصة التأثير فى الاخرين ، بدل من ان تتقبل بشكل سلبى ان يقرر الاخرين مصيرك"
حقيقة اكتشفتها متأخر

[Rania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely it's the type of books that changes you, gives you the hints and ways to improve your social skills, to be a social intelligent person.
full of example to simplify the concepts.

I felt that I have to read some of it's part again, and to keep the book always around.

[Keisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this book. It made me aware of my own social mishaps and successes. Definitely a must read for those who want to better themselves and their mannerisms during interaction with other human beings.

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book on simple ways to change and become a better people person.

[Amanda Kay]

Pretty self evident. But good, nonetheless.

[Islam · Rating 3 out of 5]

really it's a good book to make us aware of some social details essential in our life

[Fatoom · Rating 4 out of 5]

you should read this book , it's interesting !

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband's favorite book.

[Pilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informational without being inspirational. That's a good thing.