is more important in determining life success, book smarts or street smarts? This is a million-dollar question and is at the heart of an important debate contrasting the relative importance of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ).
The advocates of the book smarts might suggest that it is their IQ that plays the critical role in determining how well people fair in life. Those who advocate for the importance of what is called street smarts would suggest that EQ is even more important. So, what is your take? before we go forward let’s look at the Definitions, Origin, Abilities, Use in Workplace, Application and Importance.
Definitions
Emotional Intelligence, or emotional quotient (EQ), is defined as an individual’s ability to identify, evaluate, control, and express emotions. People with high EQ usually make great leaders and team players because of their ability to understand, empathize, and connect with the people around them.
Intelligence quotient or (IQ) is score derived from one of several standardized tests designed to assess an individual’s intelligence. IQ is used to determine academic abilities and identify individuals with off the chart intelligence or mental challenges.
Origin
EQ: 1985, Wayne Payne’s doctoral thesis “A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence” Popular use came in Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book “Emotional Intelligence – Why it can matter more than IQ”. IQ: 1883, English statistician Francis Galton’s paper “Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development” First application came in French psychologist Alfred Binet’s 1905 test to assess school children in France
Abilities
EQ: Identify, evaluate, control and express emotions, one’s own emotions; perceive, and assess others’ emotions; use emotions to facilitate thinking, understand emotional meanings. IQ: Ability to learn, understand and apply information to skills, logical reasoning, word comprehension, math skills, abstract and spatial thinking, filter irrelevant information.
Workplace
EQ: Teamwork, leadership, successful relations, service orientation, initiative, collaboration. EQ is a better indicator of success in the workplace and is used to identify leaders, good team players, and people who best work by themselves. IQ: Success with challenging tasks, ability to analyze and connect the dots, research and development.
Applications
For a very long time, IQ was believed to be the ultimate measure for success in careers and life in general, studies have shown that there is a direct relation between higher EQ and successful professionals. People with high EQ generally achieve more, excel at teamwork and service and take more initiative. Several corporations and large organizations have mandated EQ tests during the hiring process and have coaching seminars on emotional and social skills.
IQ tests are used most in the field of education and psychology. IQ tests are standardized to recognize highly capable/gifted individuals as well as individuals who need special assistance in the classroom. IQ predicts success with academic achievements and has often been used to determine career options for graduating students.
Having Viewed All This Which Is More Important
IQ is still recognized as an important element of success, particularly when it comes to academic achievement. People with high IQs typically to do well in school, often earn more money, and tend to be healthier in general. But today experts recognize it is not the only determinate of life success. Instead, it is part of a complex array of influences that includes emotional intelligence among other things.
The concept of emotional intelligence has had a strong impact in a number of areas, including the business world. Many companies now mandate emotional intelligence training and utilize EQ tests as part of the hiring process.