So my ex boyfriend once told me he thought I had a really high EQ which I thought was a great compliment, especially because emotional intelligence is often deemed more important than a high IQ when it comes to running a successful business. Oh yeah, and so is your MQ and BQ. Don’t know what those are? Well then you probably didn’t ever rank high on any IQ test. Luckily, I’m here to save the day yet again. And, hopefully give you some helpful tips to boost the other 3 quotients that can help you succeed.
Emotional Intelligence
EQ – Emotional Intelligence or the ability to be aware of your feelings and the feelings of others, manage those feelings and use them appropriately. As a result of a high EQ, you’re able to have self-motivation, build stronger relationships and have a better sense of how to deal with the people around you. If that doesn’t sound like the top qualities of a successful boss, I don’t know what does.
But some people don’t have this innate emotional sense that’s crucial for team management (and, let’s be honest, life). Keld Jensen, business author and negotiating expert, suggests that you should listen to the tiny voice inside your head. OK, that sounds crazy, but it actually listening to your inner dialog helps you become more aware of how you feel. But stress can be an instant inner voice killer. So, make sure you bust the stress so you can connect with your feelings (jeez, I sound like a life coach!)
Moral Intelligence
MQ is all about people treating you the way you treat yourself. That means having a high level of integrity, forgiveness, sympathy and responsibility will reflect in the way people also show these qualities to you.
So, how do you improve this crucial quotient? Take responsibility for the things you do and don’t make so many excuses. Show respect and sympathy for others and practice forgiveness. Remember MQ has a lot to do with how you also treat yourself (wow, I’m a preacher now).
Body Intelligence
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone – the way you take care of your body affects just about every other aspect of your life. Eating right, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and listening to the signals your body gives you (feeling sick, tired, lethargic… well, do something about it), will affect not only your self-confidence, feelings, energy levels but will help the overall function of your brain. You know what that means? Higher performance in your job and, you guessed it, life. And, now I’m officially an MD.
So all the IQ smarty pants with an inefficient EQ, MQ and BQ need not apply to be any sort of higher management (though, they could use you in the lab. Take it from Reverend Dr. Holly, life coach extraordinary – listen to your feelings so you can listen to others, take responsibility and have integrity, and get your bum to the gym so you can feel good about yourself and efficiently manage others around you. You feel me?
