Eq Vs Iq: which one is more important for success?

When you are working as a professional, you pride yourself for your technical skills, industry expertise, and innovation. You feel confident in your resume because these are the things that make you stand out from the rest. But in the business world, where there is so much dependence on negotiation, compromise, and collaboration, the importance of both IQ and EQ cannot be understated.

It is hard to determine which one is important because the most effective leaders have the ability to make good use of both their intelligence quotient (IQ) and their emotional quotient (EQ). Any prominent business leader can be indicated because he or she possesses the eloquence, good memory, and a capacity for learning with their high IQ levels. But emotional quotient is equally important in giving them an executive ability to read the body language accurately and tuning into the emotional state of other people. It is because this is something that makes a difference in winning or losing a deal.

Difference between IQ and EQ:

You can understand both IQ and EQ by first knowing what they actually mean. An IQ or intelligence quotient is a number that is derived from a standardized intelligence test. The scores of IQ are derived by a person’s mental age, by his or her chronological age and then multiplying that number by 100. It represents the abilities of visual and spatial processing, knowledge of the world, fluid reasoning, working-memory as well as short-term memory, and quantitative reasoning. Here are 5 simple, practical hacks to increase your IQ.

On the other hand, EQ or emotional quotient measures a person’s emotional intelligence. This intelligence is based on how a person perceives, control, and evaluate different situations and events. It involves how people express their emotions and identify emotions. The area of EQ is centred on abilities such as identifying emotions, evaluating how others feel, controlling one’s own emotions, perceiving what others feel, using emotions to facilitate social communication etc.

What is more important: IQ or EQ?

A few years ago, IQ was considered as a primary determinant of success as people with high IQ levels were assumed to be destined for a successful life. But researchers have long debated whether this intelligence actually guarantees success in life or not. It is such a narrow concept to completely incorporate the wide range of abilities and knowledge humans possess. Although IQ is still considered an important element for success in life, it is no more the only one. The concept of EQ or emotional intelligence has made a lot of impact in a number of areas including the business world of today. Scientific research shows 6 reasons why attitude is more important than IQ.

Organizations are now focusing more emphasis on emotional intelligence training and are utilizing EQ tests as part of the hiring process. It is because the researchers have found that individuals who have strong leadership potential are more emotionally intelligent. This makes EQ an important quality for business leaders and managers as it plays a vital role in achieving success. So it would be safe to determine, IQ and EQ together is a perfect combination and it means ‘success’

Emotional Intelligence can be learned:

This is the most common question that is usually asked about emotional intelligence that can it be learned and controlled. Fortunately for those who don’t possess EQ naturally, they can still learn the EQ skills so the answer to the question is, yes the EQ is more important than IQ and the emotions can be controlled.

There has been some clear research that shows that people can learn how to interact more effectively at work and increase their emotional intelligence. An individual needs to be personally motivated to do this. For learning emotional intelligence, organizations can offer programs such as character education, modelling positive behavior, encouraging individuals to think about how others are feeling, and understanding ways to be empathetic to other people.

What everyone should actually understand is that both IQ and EQ play a significant role in influencing the overall success. Not only in success but it also affects your health, wellness, and happiness in life. Therefore, instead of focusing on which factors may have a more dominant influence, you should learn to improve skills in multiple areas. By acquiring new social and emotional skills, you will be able to perform a lot better in numerous different areas of your life.

You can start by focusing on the five basic components that can help you to increase in those areas. These factors include

1. Self-awareness
2. Self-regulation
3. Motivation
4. Empathy
5. Social skills