Well, first of all, we did lots of studies where we show practical intelligence doesn’t correlate with G. We have probably two dozen studies that practical intelligence better predicts job success than IQ.

Sternberg is summarizing a central claim of his research program on “practical intelligence” (often linked to tacit knowledge and real-world problem solving) and his broader critique of treating general intelligence (g) or IQ as the sole—or even best—predictor of life outcomes. The quote argues that practical intelligence is empirically distinct from g (low correlation) and may be more ecologically valid for workplace performance, because jobs often reward context-sensitive judgment, know-how, and adaptive decision-making rather than test-like analytic reasoning. The significance is a shift from a unitary, test-centered view of ability toward a pluralistic model of competence and prediction, with implications for hiring, training, and educational assessment.