I read an interesting article which speaks of the importance of EQ, which stands for Emotional Quotient.

Coined by Daniel Goleman, EQ is touted to be as important, if not more important as your IQ (intellectual quotient) when it comes to being effective in your day to day life. Putting it simply, it doesn’t matter how smart you are if you don’t relate well with others.

I have to admit that I like this idea because I spend a lot of time not being the smartest guy in the room. Having a human resources background, I like to think my insight into teams and people impact matters.

In a Harvard Business Review article, a seasoned business executive James Runde offered a breakdown on how EQ works.

People with high EQ are self-aware. They have a healthy understanding of strengths and weaknesses. They know what they like and dislike. They are good at knowing where they excel and when situations call for their leadership.

Self-aware people have had the benefit of effective guidance. They have received good instructions. They have been counseled on their effectiveness. They have learned the value of reflection. They have adjusted to mistakes and corrected their path.

The person with a healthy self-awareness continues to improve as a leader and a teammate well into their career.

People with a high EQ are excellent colleagues. They follow when following is called for. They contribute to timely and courageous communication. They don’t let their ego muck up team dynamics. They have a record of contributing to teams in such a fashion as to make the team better. High EQ people thrive in relationship with others.

Finally, high EQ people have empathy for their customers. They see things well through the eyes of their customers. They have honed their listening ability so that they can “read between the lines” and predict the customer needs before the customer knows them. A well-developed empathy sets folks apart.

A high EQ person knows himself and uses that sense of self to work together to achieve more.