EQ or IQ: Which is More Important in Leadership?

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams

Emotions are what make us human. They are the colours of our lives, and make it more meaningful and beautiful. All our emotions are valid, natural, normal and neutral. It is very important for all of us to recognize, understand and manage our emotions well. This is what emotional intelligence is all about.

A high IQ may help us become successful, but to sustain that success, we need to be emotionally intelligent. A high EQ is equally beneficial in every walk of life and that is why so much of importance is given to personality building in students, along with academics. Simply having solutions to problems does not help- we should be able to convey them effectively, too. No matter what we are doing, kindness and empathy go a long way in making people feel heard and understood.

All of us would agree that a team is as good as its leader. Anyone who brings people together to work for a common cause, and keeps them together is a leader. Emotional intelligence comprises of empathy, social skills, self-awareness, self-regulation and motivation. A leader is one who can manage his/her own emotions well and gauge the emotions of others’ too. He/ she knows how to boost a person’s morale after failure and keep them grounded after success. Good leaders know how to find the middle path- the unique intersection of heart and reason.

A person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but without emotional intelligence he/she still won’t make a great leader. Even a robot has all the knowledge in the world.

When we talk about great leaders, one of the first people we remember is Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the People’s President. His high emotional intelligence set him apart. He established a strong connection with the common people of India, who had unwavering faith in him. Dr Kalam toured the entire nation to understand the country better and see the work happening at the grassroot level. His dreams always found an echo in the heart of each Indian. He understood, respected and responded to the needs, fears and hopes of the people.

Different leaders have different personalities, beliefs and ways. But a common thread in all the successful leaders is that they have high emotional intelligence. They make a comeback after every setback and have the ability to carry their team through thick and thin

Good leaders say, “If we can’t see eye to eye, let’s try heart to heart.”

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Goohika ✨