Blend Your IQ and EQ for Success

“Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” - Dale Carnegie



An Intelligence Quotient or IQ is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests attempting to measure intelligence (Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ). On the contrary, Emotional Intelligence, also called EI or EQ, describes an ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups (Reference: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Emotional-intelligence-tests). High EQ is a sign of satisfaction while low EQ is a sign of dissatisfaction. Therefore, high EQ certainly leads to success in personal, professional and social life.

There are standard tools and techniques to measure IQ but it is not so in the case of EQ, which is evolving and changing gradually. The intentions and actions of human beings can not be measured easily. Besides, cross cultural issues complicate the measurement of EQ. There is no yard stick to measure human emotions accurately. However, there are psychological tests to measure the same but the results can not be claimed to be accurate.

IQ helps in academic achievement while EQ helps in career achievement. IQ is synonymous with knowledge while EQ is synonymous with application of knowledge. When it is viewed analytically, it is definitely the application of knowledge is more important than the knowledge itself. It is reported that career success depends on EQ not IQ. Daniel Goleman observes “Simply having an IQ of superior range does not in itself guarantee that they will be superior professionals in their respective areas; the IQ suffers from range restriction in many applied organizational settings and thus is even more limited in its ability to predict performance and career success within a given location.”

In the interviews also the employer looks for emotional adjustability, emotional competence and emotional maturity of the prospective employee. Few people call EQ as soft skills. In this case, it can be equated IQ with hard skills. To put it succinctly, soft skills outsmart hard skills. Therefore, EQ supersedes and surpasses IQ.

Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is inborn; where as Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) is skill that can be acquired but not inborn. Both IQ and EQ are essential for success of any individual, as both are two sides of the same coin.