Does Emotional Intelligence Matter More Than Intelligence Quotient?

You’ve probably heard the term “IQ” before and more often than ever, we tend to use this word frequently as a term in describing evaluations of intelligence, exceptional traits and effectiveness. But in contemporary times, an effective comprehension of EQ is what will keep you there and carry you much further in any area of life you decide to utilise it. Having a very high IQ is not the only thing that needs to happen to keep you in whatever position in life and as such, the reason why emotional intelligence (EQ) matters more than Intelligence quotient (IQ).

“If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far”. — Daniel Goleman

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, manage, and reflect one’s emotions in addition to having the capacity to act conservatively and sympathetically in interpersonal interactions. In simpler terms, it enables you to effectively communicate your ideas without your emotions getting into the way of your decision making, your way of work which could include tasks and communication at work, school or even at home. It might come as a shock to you but emotional intelligence is what we everyone must have deeper knowledge of if we want to reduce stress and issues in our everyday life. From understanding your environment, to psychological readings of one’s emotions. Hence, the term emotional intelligence.

More significantly, emotional Intelligence matters more than IQ but knowing where, when, and how to efficiently apply EQ is what matters most, not just the comprehension alone. Additionally, the secret to achieving success in both life and work is emotional intelligence. Without much ado, let’s step right into this pool 0f knowledge.

What is IQ?

IQ, designated from Intelligence quotient can be best described as an array of subtests that have been standardised for use in evaluating human intellect. Today, it is very common for people to want to intertwine IQ for EQ or vice versa which unknowingly to them, cannot be used in the same context. Each of them have their own unique attributes which we must first acknowledge. Only then can the precise meaning be derived and used accordingly.

While and individual’s IQ can be measured in digits or numbers, emotional intelligence can never be likened or squeezed into a set of numbers because of how versatile and broad it can be. As much as the IQ is paramount, much emphasis is placed on the utilization of Emotional Intelligence.

EQ and IQ: What is the Difference?

When placed together, side by side, you’ll discover that there’s more to each of them than you actually thought.

Your IQ, which typically refers to your intellectual capacity, is made up of a variety of skills, some of which are as follows:

• Application of rational thinking to challenges: Whether it be rearranging work files into an advanced spreadsheet, creating and developing a software’s code, or even troubleshooting, anything that has to do with critical evaluation can only be achieved by an individual with a high IQ. On the other hand, when someone of lower IQ tend to carry out certain high IQ tasks, the end result is usually disappointment.
• Plotting and analysing: With regard to project management; mapping, executing, scheduling, and monitoring of a company’s project cannot be assigned to just anybody. You can’t assign the job of a farmer to a driver. Hence, that is why only specific professionals – project managers are given the responsibility to safeguard such delicate procedure.
• Understanding complex concepts: A simple case of algebraic and quadratic equations, calculus, logarithm and so many other mathematical calculation constituents cannot be fully comprehended by someone who has not gone into the due process of understanding, solving, analysing the concepts involved and to understand these concepts requires a much higher IQ. That is why we are very likely to find more people who don’t like a mathematics as compared to people who actually find maths interesting and fun.
• Become accustomed to alternations: As one of the inhabitants of earth, we can all agree that change is paramount in all areas of life. However, change can make a set of people get irritated, distracted or even as far as having self-doubt. Now, these tiny distractions could be likened to certain attributes; fear, inability to come up with innovative ideas, and so on. The ability to adapt to any kind of change is one of the main attributes of someone with a higher IQ because no matter how tedious, complex or broad a task will be, because they possess a good IQ they will surely find a way around anything.

When we talk about Emotional Intelligence (EQ), generally relates to your capacity to recognise as well as comprehend how you feel and the feelings of other individuals. It also relates to how you control the way you act using that awareness. In general, having a high EQ may make it much easier for you to:

• Emotional self-awareness:  the ability to know how manage your emotions without the need of any external pressure and motivation is one of the main attributes of an individual with a high EQ. when it comes to decision making and self-expression, a lot of people usually put the wrong foot down which is why EQ is a lot needed in our everyday. Emotions, when not tamed can cause a lot of harm than good which is why emotional intelligence matters more than IQ.

• Be on the same wavelength as other people when necessary: 

  Learning to read the room is a key social skill that one has to equip himself with if you really want to positively make it through daily interactions with people. There is a popular saying that goes “When in Rome, behave like the Romans.”  When you emotionally connect with the people in your surroundings, you might be able to convey whatever information you intend to transmit to open ears effortlessly.

• Adjust your emotions and actions to the various circumstances: 

  In layman’s terms, learn to stay quiet in a room where silence is needed. You will only be regarded insensitive and nonchalant if you fail to apply emotional intelligence where need be even when you possess a very high IQ.

• Appropriately resolve disputes with others:

  There are some situations whereby one has to employ deep understanding of the current situation without passing down any judgement.  With emotional intelligence, your choice of tone, words and your articulation would not be mistaken for something else but rather, will help ease the tension and bring about a peaceful dialogue.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”. – Solomon

• Effectively interact with people: With emotional intelligence, you will be able to interact with people of any age or race without having to deploy any logical method of people pleasing whatsoever. Possessing social skills tends to make commerce and discussions a lot smoother.

What Impact Does Emotional Intelligence Have In Workspace?

As stated earlier, emotional intelligence is the capacity to understand your emotions as well as that of others. The level of EQ that is employed in the work environment is astounding considering how more likely we are to interact with other people during various discussions on a daily basis. Individuals with high EI are able to recognise their emotions, what they imply, and how those emotions affect their behaviour and their interactions with others as a result.

Technically, controlling and reflecting your emotions is one, managing the emotions of others is another. It is a somewhat more difficult when it comes to managing other people’s emotions due to the fact that you have little to no influence over the manner in which they react or behave. However, if you have an insight into the emotions that lie behind the factors prompting their actions, you’ll be more inclined determine where they are coming from and how to approach them. On a personal level, the first step in preventing those sentiments from overwhelming you is being aware of them. You may sit with your feelings and then move on in a healthy way by acknowledging how and why you feel what you feel.

Leaders that are successful frequently have high emotional intelligence. It’s critical for leaders to have self-awareness and the capacity for objectivity in the workplace. This corresponds into being humble and aware of your capabilities and shortcomings. Empathy must to be employed to strike a balance with this. Working in teams requires empathy and understanding; being able to connect someone’s actions to an underlying feeling can improve relationship management and help others feel heard.

Nonetheless, with a bit of planning and execution, you may strengthen your EQ:

• Evaluate your perks and drawbacks. Everyone has shortcomings and that’s cool! Get acquainted with when you need support and when to provide it.
• Employ a concerted effort to control how quickly you respond to emotions. The next time you feel furious, try to sit with it instead of exploding. Why are you so upset? Have they offended you? What emotion, in your opinion, underlay their actions?
• Make an attempt to comprehend what those around you are trying to convey in another spectrum of language. Acknowledge that if you ask someone to assist you on a particular task and they accept but seem uncertain, they can be overloaded, confused, or have different perspectives from yours. Before continuing, it’s crucial to double-check and resolve that.
• Improve your ability to speak with integrity and unhindered. Make sure your primary point is obvious, leave out stuff that isn’t pertinent to the person you’re conversing with, and pay attention to what the other person says.

 Which is more important: EQ or IQ?

Let’s use the daily activities we engage in as a case study:

• Financial negotiations: While having a good IQ is necessary, it does not dispute the fact that an individual with a greater EQ would be able to commerce smoothly in trade sector of life. Because interactions, commerce and financial negotiations are smoother with adequate emotional intelligence (EQ), there are a lot of emphasis made on an individual’s knowledge of emotional intelligence as compared to an individual with a good IQ but no knowledge of emotional intelligence.

• Family Conflicts:

  Did you know that possessing a sound emotional intelligence can save the day? I for one have seen where EQ played out in a rift between family members. If I could remember, it was about a mortgage dispute and for some reason, one person wanted to claim more authority over the other. In the gathering, everyone was yelling at the top of their voices and to make matters worse, the few persons assigned to resolve the dispute into dialogue couldn’t do it. Instead, they were picking sides with whose story sounds more pitiful. Hours went by and the arguments were still as heated as a boiling pot of sauce. Suddenly, a young man who has been watching the whole scenario for quite a while stood up amongst the angry crowd and said to them “We’re all tired, famished and want to go home.  Why don’t we hear everyone’s side of the story and settle this out amicably? Shall we?”  Stunned by how collected he sounds; the crowd all decided to halt their yelling and take their seats.

Now, if he had used a different tone, the crowd would have definitely ignored him and continued their yelling. Without emotional intelligence, a speaker would only be more distant from his listeners as the information conveyed will not functionally reach the target audience.

• Love life:

  Emotional intelligence may be observed across multiple contexts in a romantic relationship or marriage. It is maintained over a lifetime and is essential for making love endure.

A scientific study showed that relationships between partners that have the innate capacity for empathy and the capability for healthy, compassionate conversation about emotions tend to thrive longer than partners who lack this attribute. No one wants a partner who aren’t good at expressing themselves in a sympathetic way, considering the other partners feelings. Understanding that there is a time and a place for every discussion/argument is what makes emotional intelligence stand out when placed beside IQ.

“But once you are in that field, emotional intelligence emerges as a much stronger predictor of who will be most successful, because it is how we handle ourselves in our relationships that determines how well we do once we are in a given job.” —Daniel Goleman

Want to improve your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?

• Take an online training course.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself.
• Meditate regularly; connect deeper with yourself.
• Pay attention to your emotions.
• Exercise attentive listening.
• Keep a regular journal on self-reflection for daily basis.
• Recognise when to halt and take a breath during conflicts.
• Engage in self-observation from time to time.
• Ideal conversations; when having a discussion, avoid speaking too much so as to drown out your listeners. Make sure the transitions are smooth.
• Put an end to the blame game and take ownership of your feelings.

Conclusion

In essence, emotional intelligence (EQ) counts more than intelligence quotient (IQ) since having a very high IQ is not the sole requirement to maintain you in whatever position in life.