We’ve all heard the term IQ, which stands for Intelligence Quotient. It’s a numerical measurement of how well you perform educational functions, with 100 being the average score.

For years, IQ was considered a predictor of success. However, we all know individuals with high IQs who lack personal skills and leadership ability. In response to this gap, EQ has surfaced. EQ stands for Emotional Quotient and measures how well you exercise self-control and interact with others.

An article I read broke down EQ into a finer description. Your EQ is high if you are personally competent, self-aware, and self-managed. High EQ also includes social competence, meaning socially competent people are socially aware and able to manage relationships effectively.

In a blog for Inc. Magazine, Travis Bradberry explained the attributes of personal competence:

Self-awareness: The ability to accurately perceive your emotions and stay aware of them as they happen.

Self-management: The ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and positively direct your behavior.

Personally competent individuals don’t lose their temper, act inappropriately on impulse, or do things they don’t intend to do.

Bradberry also highlighted the importance of social awareness:

Social awareness: The ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on.

Relationship management: The ability to manage interactions successfully by being aware of your emotions and those of others.

Socially competent people understand others, perceive motivations and sensitivities, and connect in a way that creates mutually satisfying results.

What’s cool about EQ is that studies show you can improve it with intentional practice. You can enhance your social competence by staying aware of your emotions as they arise and making mindful choices in challenging situations. You can become socially aware by learning more about others and what makes them tick.

How is your EQ? It’s worth assessing. Studies show that EQ is a better predictor of effectiveness than IQ. It’s worth developing.

-Howe Q. Wallace Jr