The idea of practical intelligence helps explain why a person who has difficult time getting through school can still be a successful businessperson, politician, or athlete. Practical intelligence incorporates the ideas of common sense, wisdom, and street smarts. One major reservation some have about practical intelligence is the implication that people who are highly intelligent in the traditional sense are no practical thinkers. In truth, most executives and other high- level workers score quite well on tests of mental ability. These tests usually measure analytical intelligence.