The Top Advice Bill Gates Would Give His Younger Self

We all have moments from our past that make us feel embarrassed. We wish we could go back and either scold or encourage our younger selves. This is true even for people who started huge companies in their 20s and became some of the richest people in the world.

There was a time when Bill and Melinda Gates attended a live event organized by the author of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda. During the question time, they got a question from a special fan. Mark Zuckerberg asked through Facebook Live, "What advice would you give your younger self? Asking for a friend."

Bill Gates didn't need much time to think of an answer. He said he regrets thinking that being smart, with a high IQ, was enough to succeed in life.

Gates explained that when he was young, he thought being clever was all that mattered. He didn't pay attention to other important skills like understanding how people feel or working well with others. Now, he knows these skills are just as important as being smart.

This advice is valuable for everyone, not just young tech geniuses. It reminds us that success comes from more than just book smarts.

This is a great answer for many reasons. People who think they're smart should listen carefully.

First, it's true according to science. We often think being smart means having a high IQ. But Harvard research shows there are actually seven types of intelligence. These include things like "body smarts" that athletes and dancers have, and "self-smarts" that help us understand and control our feelings and habits.

Being smart is great, but you can do amazing things with less brain power and more of other skills. If you want to be the best, like Gates says, you need to work on your IQ and also on other types of smarts like EQ. (Alibaba's Jack Ma says the key is something he calls "LQ.")

Scientists found that teams often rate super smart leaders lower because it's hard to talk to them. Being a great leader isn't just about having the biggest brain. You also need to be good with feelings and talking to share your great ideas and make others want to help you make them real.

So, smart future leaders, listen up! Gates has been where you are and knows what he's talking about. Don't get too proud of your high IQ. And don't think that just being smart is enough to make you great. Being smart gives you a good start in life, but it's only the beginning. We all need to value and grow other types of smarts too.

"I was so naive about different skill sets. I thought if somebody had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. And that idea that you had to blend different skills together, that still surprises me. This notion that there was just this simple idea of smartness, and it could solve everything -- I wish I had known better than to think that." ~ Bill Gates