I just read this on Digg, and wanted to share
Even my grad academic adviser told me the same thing. If you're too smart, you'll either want to change the way the organization functions or you will leave.
I can't say I agree with this totally, but its more likely to be that with high intelligence one usually has poor social skills. Poor social skills make it impossible to explain brilliant ideas. That's one reason people become academics. Its rare to have to "bring someone up to speed" in the academic world, so explaining your idea is easy. The problem is that rarely do academics move on their idea. They struggle to have someone support it, and help them make it work. Determination and initiative are what academics need to make their ideas work (for cash).
The other issue is that, in my experience, bosses have little ability for outside-of-the-box thinking. They only care about the bottom line, because that's their job. The bridge between the intelligent and the motivated is entrepreneurship. The reason academics won't pursue this avenue is the fear of risk. Being risk averse makes them want to be sheltered in a building on campus instead of hitting the streets to convince people of the validity of their idea (assuming its not shit).
Am an not an entrepreneur, but want to purse that avenue. I am, however, an academic who sees the difference. I mention my ideas to professors and they ask if I want to "research or start a business". To me, that close minded thinking is the problem. IMO, the best of both worlds is an academic who develops ideas and has a support group (of entrepreneurs) who are willing to listen and help 'flush out' the invalid ideas. I think it takes a special kind of entrepreneur to be this type of person (both the idea generators and the support group). Entrepreneurs by definition are risk takers, but few have the audacity and patience to take on something new. Creating a market is the new entrepreneurship, not dominating an older existing one.
