Skip to main content

Emotional Quotient and Intelligence Quotient: Understanding Importance of EQ

In day to day engagements people involve themselves with multiple tasks which require knowledge, communication skills, negotiation skills, critical thinking and so on. We all agree that at some level we need just a common sense and at sometimes we need intelligence.

Is intelligence one thing or many? Is it modifiable or not? Is it inherited or is it environmental? (Sternber, 1996). Generally, we consider IQ to be more powerful and important than EQ. But research suggests that both are vital. In dealing with intelligence, Itard found that intelligence, while a given, developed by having the appropriate experiences at the right time of development (Gutek, N.D).

What is Intelligence Quotient (IQ)?

IQ in general, is an assessment of an ability to think and reason. IQ score is a standardized way of comparing this ability with the majority of people the same age as we are. A score of 100 means that compared to these people in your general age group that you have basically an average intelligence. Most psychologists would say those scoring in a range of 95 to 105 are of a normal intelligence or have an average IQ. 

We can teach intelligence in at least some degree, but cannot effect radical changes at this point (Sternber, 1996). There is also a theory called ‘theory of successful intelligence’. It is defined as one’s ability to achieve success in life in terms of one’s personal standards, within one’s socio-cultural context.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EI) or emotional quotient (EQ) is the capacity of individuals to recognize their own, and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and to manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt environments or achieve one's goals.

Emotional intelligence plays a major role in how we interact with other people.

For most people, emotional intelligence (EQ) is more important than one's intelligence(IQ) in attaining success in their lives and careers. As individuals our success and the success of the profession today depend on our ability to read other people's signals and react appropriately to them (Psychocentral.com library).

How are Emotional Intelligence, IQ, and Personality are different?

-         Emotional intelligence taps into a fundamental element of human behavior that is distinct from intellect. There is no known connection between IQ and emotional intelligence; you simply can’t predict emotional intelligence based on how smart someone is. (But, still there is ongoing debate about this connection, refer the below link to see one such study- http://www.memory-key.com/research/news/correlation-between-emotional-intelligence-and-iq).

-         Intelligence is the ability to learn, and it’s the same at age 15 as it is at age 50. Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, is a flexible set of skills that can be acquired and improved with practice. Although some people are naturally more emotionally intelligent than others, you can develop high emotional intelligence even if you aren’t born with it.

-         IQ and EQ often integrates itself to form Personality. It’s the stable “style” that defines each of us. Personality is the result of hard-wired preferences, such as the inclination toward introversion or extroversion. However, like IQ, personality can’t be used to predict emotional intelligence. Also like IQ, personality is stable over a lifetime and doesn’t change. The general consensus is that personality is shaped by early life experiences and tend to stay stable over time (www.psychologytoday.com). According to most personality type theories, the individual's type is inborn and does not change. However, individuals can develop traits and habits that differ or even directly contradict the description of their type (www.16personalities.com).

IQ, emotional intelligence, and personality each cover unique ground and help to explain what makes a person tick.


Below diagram (1.1) illustrates integration of IQ, EQ and Personality:


 


A deep dive into Emotional Intelligence:

When emotional intelligence first appeared to the masses, it served as the missing link in a peculiar finding: people with average IQs outperform those with the highest IQs 70% of the time. This anomaly threw a massive wrench into what many people had always assumed was the sole source of success—IQ. Decades of research now point to emotional intelligence as the critical factor that sets star performers apart from the rest of the folks.

Emotional intelligence is “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.

Emotional intelligence is made up of four core skills that pair up under two primary competencies:

a.    personal competence:

-         Self-Awareness
-         Self-Management

b.    social competence:

-         Social Awareness
-         Relationship Management

Below diagram (1.2) illustrates the matrix of Emotional Intelligence based on personal and social competence:



 


a.      Personal competence comprises your self-awareness and self-management skills, which focus more on you individually than on your interactions with other people. Personal competence is your ability to stay aware of your emotions and manage your behavior and tendencies.

-         Self-Awareness is your ability to accurately perceive your emotions and stay aware of them as they happen.

-         Self-Management is your ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and positively direct your behavior.

b.      Social competence is made up of your social awareness and relationship management skills; social competence is your ability to understand other people’s moods, behavior, and motives in order to respond effectively and improve the quality of your relationships.

-         Social Awareness is your ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on.

-         Relationship Management is your ability to use awareness of your emotions and the others’ emotions to manage interactions successfully.

Linkage between Emotional Intelligence and Performance:

How much of an impact does emotional intelligence have on your professional success? The short answer is: a lot! It’s a powerful way to focus your energy in one direction with a tremendous result. An organization called Talentsmart has tested emotional intelligence alongside 33 other important workplace skills, and found that emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of performance, explaining a full 58% of success in all types of jobs.

The emotional intelligence is the foundation for a host of critical skills—it impacts most everything we do and say each day.

Out of total population in the research study, the research team found that 90% of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence. On the flip side, just 20% of bottom performers are high in emotional intelligence. You can be a top performer without emotional intelligence, but the chances are slim.

Other interesting finding of the study is that— people with a high degree of emotional intelligence make more money—an average of $29,000 more per year than people with a low degree of emotional intelligence. The link between emotional intelligence and earnings is so direct that every point increase in emotional intelligence adds $1,300 to an annual salary. These findings hold true for people in all industries, at all levels, in every region of the world. The researchers say that, they haven’t yet been able to find a job in which performance and pay aren’t tied closely to emotional intelligence.

Below (1.3) is the sketch of a tree which illustrates some of the critical skills:



 

Can the score of Emotional Intelligence Be Increased?

As you train your brain by repeatedly practicing new emotionally intelligent behaviors, your brain builds the pathways needed to make them into habits. Before long, you begin responding to your surroundings with emotional intelligence without even having to think about it. And just as your brain reinforces the use of new behaviors, the connections supporting old, destructive behaviors will die off as you learn to limit your use of them.


References

Gutek, G. L. (N.D). In The Montessori Method: The Origins of an Educational Innovation.

Sternber, R. J. (1996). Myths, Countermyths, and Truths About Intelligence. American Educational Research Association.

Dr. Travis Bradberry’s writing and the work of his organization TalentSmart where he is a cofounder. The studies and tests are done by Talentsmart organization. Source of the work: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-you-need-emotional-intelligence-succeed-dr-travis-bradberry

This information from website: (www.psychologytoday.com)

This information from website: (www.16personalities.com)

Popular posts from this blog

Right attitude is a great power (story):

😒A Businessman was deep in debt and could not see any way  out. 😒Creditors and Suppliers were demanding payments. He sat in the park, deep in thought, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy. 👍Suddenly an old man appeared before him and asked, "I can see that something is troubling you seriously". 👍After listening patiently the old man said, "I believe I can help you". 👍👍👍He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque and put it into his hands saying, 👍"Take this money, meet me here exactly one year from today... and you can pay me back at that time". 👍Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. 👌👌👌The businessman saw in his hands a cheque for $ 500,000... signed by Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world. 👍"I can erase my worries instantly...

Learn B-school/Business lessons from street vendors:

- Captain Raghu Raman teaches an interesting business lessons from Street vendors. And in the last section he speaks about the after retirement life of young armed forces. Click to watch: About Captain Raghu Raman: Note:  The above video is linked directly from youtube. About 'Raghu Raman' detail is received from youtube description.

What can a radical leader do?

 Radical leader, can: Prepare oneself Exemplify Moral Integrity Go Beyond Self-Interest Establish Clear Goals Respect Your People Convey an Inspiring Vision Be A Mentor... and in doing so inspire revolutionary teamwork.

How important a good sleep is:

Snippets: - In an average a person needs atleast 7-9 hours of good quality sleep. - Lack of sleep affects certain parts of the brain more than others. The emotional center of  your brain , the amygdala, becomes more sensitive to negative stimuli both internal and external. - Without enough rest, your immune system doesn’t have enough time to recharge itself or fight off infection.  - Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day even on weekends. - Sleep deprivation can affect all aspects of your life.  Click to read the full article by sleep expert:

30 simple life skills for 30 days:

*How can I improve myself within a month?*  This is a plan for 30 days. You can start practicing it from tomorrow. Follow one life skill per day as per the numbering 1-30 below. So if you follow order without miss, you will be able to do this whole exercise in a month. Many times we want to bring many habitual changes in us, but we fail to do it because of lack of initiative and many more reasons. Let us take this opportunity to imbibe this 30 better life skills in us. For better planning and implementation of this 30 skills. You should plan for the day one day prior. So that you can start your day afresh with a skill. *30 simple tasks for 30 days -:*     *Day 1*. Greet people with smile. Life is short. Life is simple. Do not complicate it. Don’t forget to smile.. *Day 2*. 'Greet first'. Make an habit of, you greeting the person before he greets you 'Hi, Good morning'. *Day 3*. Start planning your day. It will take a few minutes but ...

Understanding the negative thought patterns:

Snippets : -At its core, a negative thought is not inherently negative. It’s simply a thought.  - Negative thoughts have no inherent power over you. They come and they go. - If you want to learn how to stop negative thoughts, realize that it’s not about stopping thoughts, but about changing how you relate to those initial thoughts. - You can see your thought patterns as programs running inside you, like a software app on a computer, phone, or tablet. Your software can be changed, molded, and redirected. Find the full article from below link. Click to read from source :

The power of Emotional Intelligence:

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.”  —Epictetus Emotional Intelligence is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. There are researches which have found that most of the successful people with good IQ also have strong EQ (Emotional Quotient). In the below link Dr. Travis Bradberry discusses the importance of strong Emotional Intelligence. Click to read the article from source: If unable to open, paste the below link to browser: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/telltale-signs-you-lack-emotional-intelligence-dr-travis-bradberry

When and Why do you need a Life Coach:

Snippets: - Life coaches push you to find success and satisfaction from your job or lifestyle. - Life coaches help you move past challenges that stand in the way of your goals. - The sessions will range from 15 minutes to an hour. During that time you'll talk about what you want to accomplish. - Before you sign on for any coaching sessions, interview a few potential life or wellness coaches. Ask how they usually work with clients. Click to read from source :

How to Fight Stress with Empathy?

Snippets : - We often use the words “I’m stressed” casually in our everyday conversations, with little acknowledgment of the adverse effects of stress in our lives. - Not all stress is bad, of course. Stress can also be invigorating or  lead us to care  about the welfare of others, if channeled in the right way. - To some extent, we can reduce stress by simply taking good care of ourselves through getting proper sleep, exercise, and nutrition. - If we all focused more on listening and understanding each other, the world would be a lot less stressful—and a lot happier—place to live. Click to read from source : If unable to open, paste the below link to browser: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_fight_stress_with_empathy/success

All that you want to know about depression:

Snippets: - Depression is not a sign of personal failure or something to be ashamed of. It does not mean that a person is "crazy." Depression is simply an illness that needs to be treated so that life will once more be enjoyable, purposeful, and worthwhile. - Depression affects a person's thoughts, but it also seems that a person's thoughts can affect depression.  - The best way to help someone with depression is to encourage that person to get professional help. If the depression is severe, encouragement may not be enough, however. It may be necessary to arrange a visit to a health care provider for them. - Treatment for depression depends on its type and severity. There are several approaches that can be used either alone or in combination. Current thinking suggests that medication combined with psychotherapy is the most effective treatment for moderate to severe depression. The medication helps relieve the symptoms of depression, while the psychotherapy helps ...