EQ is the glue that binds IQ and Success

Emotional Intelligence(EQ) is the Glue that Binds IQ and Success

“Tell me more.” “How do you like to be communicated to?” “I appreciate you.” “What are your thoughts?” “I have a different perspective.” “Are you OK?” “I hear you.” “I’m sorry.” These plethora of random statements are not so random. These are in fact some of the most powerful phrases of emotionally intelligent leaders. A marker of high EQ.

Why is Emotional Intelligence important in the workplace? Does it have some actual currency or is it a buzzword, a trend that will fade over time? Does EQ count in the “how to be successful” metrics? Let’s get into the depths of this topic that does determine the course of one’s success.

What is EQ?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to perceive, understand and analyze emotions, and use emotions to facilitate thinking. High EQ means you’re capable of strong social skills. EQ is important because it’s a key to success in work and relationships. 

A high EQ helps you have positive communication with others, while low EQ can quickly become a barrier in personal and professional relationships. EQ is connected to “soft skills,” like having a positive attitude, being considerate, and being super empathetic. These skills are essential indicators of potential job performance success.

Having a high IQ will get you in the door, but it’s your EQ that will keep you there– meaning EQ is the new IQ

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is not a predictor of success. It’s only one component of the whole success bandwagon, and it has its limits. In fact, some studies have shown that high IQ people are actually less satisfied with their lives than those who don’t score high on tests like the SAT or GRE (the Graduate Record Exams).

But EQ is different—it’s an indicator of success in work and relationships. If you have high EQ but low IQ, you may find yourself struggling at work because your skills aren’t quite as strong and therefore your job performance suffers.

But if your EQ is lower than your IQ then you might have trouble connecting with other people because your personality doesn’t match well enough for them to feel comfortable opening up to you. 

You might think– What matters more in such a scenario?

You would be mildly surprised to know that EQ outweighs IQ in many such instances. Your emotional awareness counts more where it truly matters.

Benefits of High EQ

Emotional intelligence (EQ)- the ability to perceive and express emotions, understand and analyze emotions, and use emotions to facilitate thinking

If you have high EQ in any area of your life (work or personal), you are going to do increasingly well in both. You would be identified as someone who would see a person beyond what’s visible or performed.

A person who understands that emotions affect one’s overall work performance is a huge asset to any organization as it creates a toxic-free environment. An ecosystem wherein one is valued more than their data inputs.

If you don’t have the ability to talk openly with others, then it will be difficult for you to form strong relationships or get along well with coworkers, clients, or customers. Thinking broadly, EQ then is a crucial indicator of success in work and relationships.

Why Communication will always be the Key to Success

Communication is the key to success– no matter how many times this statement gets repeated, it will always remain true. Your success– however you perceive it, would highly depend on effective communication with your co-workers and customers.

In the workplace, it’s important that employees work together as a team because they need each other if they want their organization to succeed and reach new heights. They also want their customers’ satisfaction so that they keep coming back for more business from them! EQ makes you pivot towards the underlying problems of the issues making it easier to find holistic solutions for your clients or co-workers.

Measurement of EQ

EQ can be measured in many different ways– including surveys and interviews, but the most reliable way is through self-report questionnaires that ask you how well you deal with stress, manage conflict with others or work on projects in groups.

You may be surprised by how important EQ is for your career. According to one study published in Harvard Business Review (HBR), employees who scored high on this trait were more likely to get promoted than those who scored low! Yes, EQ weighs that high on the employability score!

Five key areas that influence emotional intelligence

American author, psychologist, and science journalist Daniel Goleman popularized the concept of emotional intelligence in his New York Times best-seller, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. In his book, he described in detail the five key areas that influence emotional intelligence– Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills.

  • Self-awareness is the ability to understand your emotions and how they influence your thoughts and behavior.
  • Self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions so that they are not disruptive to your thoughts and behavior.
  • Motivation is the ability to work towards goals and achieve them.
  • Empathy is the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation.
  • Social Skills involve being empathetic to other people’s feelings as well as understanding their needs (especially when things go wrong).

Emotional Intelligence Unlocks Possibilities for You

The relevance of EQ cannot be understated for the processes of recruitment, promotion, and retention in many organizations as policies are altered to evaluate employees from the more trusted lens of EQ.

Many big Organizations in their surveys have found out that across their global teams’ mid-career executives having high potential had higher EQ competencies than their peers.

Machines will keep getting smarter with us increasingly becoming technology-reliant, so it is paramount to continue investing in our EQ as individuals. As the traits of EQ are all learned behaviors, it’s possible for us to actively work on them to enhance our relationships across realms, as well as boost the odds of our work success. 

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence is the key to improving your personal effectiveness. It’s the foundation for dealing with impulses, dealing with stress, and responding versus reacting. Holistic development in education also means the presence of EQ in educators, parents and guardians.

Youngsters and parents of young children should harness the power of EQ, alongside IQ and job skills, so that young people emerge as successful professionals and happy individuals.

Emotional Intelligence is something that you can cultivate and improve over time, but it’s more important than ever to be mindful of what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.

If you want to get ahead in the world, EQ will help ensure that your words are helpful and not hurtful. When someone asks you for some tips for success– maybe start with the importance of EQ.

“What really matters for success, character, happiness and life-long achievements is a definite set of emotional skills – your EQ — not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests.” —

Daniel Goleman

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