The Three Q’s of Business Success… IQ, EQ and KQ
EQ is not only a source of emotional connection, but also the way we recognize the value of ourselves and others. It is through our feelings that we learn to affirm who we are and what others truly mean to us. The strengths and talents of individuals with a high EQ-preference in business contexts relate to having empathy, compassion, and concern for the well-being of others. They are often quick to sense what clients or colleagues feel and need. They may also be skilled in responding to those needs and feelings quite spontaneously.
Emotional intelligence has gained much status in psychology and coaching over the past few years, and this may in part be due to the growing need in our industrialized cultures for more meaningful connection with other human beings. Many people are looking to their work relationships for the sense of emotional connection and belonging that was once provided by entire communities. The benefits of emotional intelligence in the workplace today lie in the fact that emotionally healthy employees are productive employees.
But a narrow focus on emotions can also be limiting. We may run the risk of neglecting important tasks and action in favour of feelings and establishing good relational connections. We may also become overly emotional and struggle to remain connected to the relevant facts and tasks. High EQ-preference individuals can benefit from translating feelings into action, since it is only the feelings that we act on that define our ultimate success and performance. It is also useful to check emotional responses against the perspectives of trusted colleagues and mentors, and to listen to the voice of reason when necessary.
Five Principles of Intelligent Business Success
To conclude the focus on 3 types of intelligence required for business success, let us outline five principles of intelligent business. These principles provide a handy structure for understanding how you can avoid becoming too narrowly focused on only one form of intelligence in your professional life.
Principle One: Where Your Attention Goes, Your Energy Follows
Consider the distressed cry of a baby. The cry immediately grabs the attention of the baby’s father, and he drops what he’s doing to run to the baby’s aid. The father’s energy followed his attention. In the same way we tend to focus on certain types of information in our work environment at the exclusion of other information. High EQ-preference individuals focus on others’ feelings and needs and their energy goes towards supporting them or meeting them emotionally. High IQ-preference individuals focus on facts, plans, and imagination and their energy goes towards analysis, gathering knowledge, and planning. High KQ-preference individuals focus on their instincts, wants, and power, and their energy goes towards taking action, responding to gut-feelings, and influencing the world.
Principle Two: Focused Attention Develops Skills and Competencies
When we focus our attention on a task or a certain type of information for a period of time we usually develop a skill or competency. A person listening to her gut instincts eventually becomes skilful in making difficult decisions under pressure. A person who focuses on knowledge and his imagination becomes a strategic visionary, and a person who is attuned to other’s needs and emotions learns how to serve and care for others with compassion.
Principle Three: A Narrow Focus of Attention Becomes Limiting
We all have an intelligence comfort zone. Although we may have wonderful skills within the zone of intelligence we use most, we eventually neglect our untapped potentials. To expand our professional development our attention must not be too narrowly focused. We need to access the untapped potential in all three centres of intelligence.
Principle Four: Self-observation Can Change Attention Patterns
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