Currently, there is a lot of media claiming that highly intelligent people are more successful and make better leaders. However, we must take care not to overplay the importance of EQ at the expense of other technical skills, and take a more balanced view of EQ in recruitment or role development.
EQ as an important leadership skill, but rather one that reminds us of three important considerations of EQ:
- EQ cannot replace hard technical leadership skills
- High EQ can tempt the less pure of heart to manipulative behaviour during negotiations
- EQ is more important in some roles than in others
EQ is widely valued because it integrates into every aspect of life and work – both within the individual as well as in relationships with others. Generally, people with higher EQ are more motivated, more confident, more effective at their work, making them more satisfied at work and happier in life. But it doesn’t apply equally across the board. One cannot rely on EQ alone to be successful. A manager might be highly skilled at applying their EQ in one on one interactions, but struggle in groups. A role demanding high technical skills may require more creativity than relationship management. Other roles rely heavily on relationship building and sustaining value in the relationship longer term.
Author: Gail La Grouw. Insight Mastery Program Director, and Strategic Performance Consultant for Coded Vision Ltd.
