Rise and Shine

Success Catalysts Beyond IQ – Part 1

I have you observed that not all highly intelligent people are very successful? Have you also observed that some of the most successful people may not have been top in class? Today, we will discuss this important, even though very sensitive topic. From the outset, I want to declare that I am very aware that this topic is very sensitive, but given the fact it is central to success, I will take the risk to tackle it with as much care and sensitivity as possible.

Anecdotal as well as empirical research shows that a large contribution to success has little to do with a person’s aptitude. For instance, research carried out by the Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that 85 percent of your financial success is due to skills in “human engineering,” your personality and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. Surprisingly, only 15 percent is due to technical knowledge.

Many if not all of us were born and brought up into the thinking that it is school and school alone that can make one successful. Even at school, we were rarely encouraged to develop extra-curricular skills which make the definitive difference between the successful and not-so-successful people. The large component of personal development is devoted to the development of IQ-related competences. We spend 85% of our time, resources and efforts on developing competences that only contribute 15% towards our future success and only spend 15% of time, effort and resources developing those competences and attributes that contribute 85% towards our future success. For the avoidance of doubt, we all need good education and to excel in school to do well in life!

But, we now know that we need more than just the logical, deductive, analytical competences developed by our IQ. We need other extra attributes to be also optimised, maximised and boosted in order to excel in life. In addition to EQ, we need an investment in strengthening our EQ (Emotional Intelligence), MQ (Moral Intelligence), (NQ) Network Intelligence and BQ (Body Intelligence).

EQ is the most well known of the four. EQ is about being aware of your own feelings and those of others, regulating these feelings in yourself and others, using emotions that are appropriate to the situation, self-motivation, and building relationships. EQ is about being sensitive to one’s feelings and emotions as well as responding to and managing emotions of others. It is easy to see how such attributes would make one successful in life. It is also easy to see that one does not need to be academically brilliant for them to have such important attributes. What is even more important is to note that while IQ is basically hard-wired before birth, you can actually boost your EQ. With enough will, training and effort, you can boost your EQ levels and therefore, you have a lot more personal control over whether you can become successful or not.

Stress can greatly negate your measure of EQ. Therefore, you need to constantly work on reducing or even eliminating all possible causes of stress. You probably want to have a positive mind that is balanced adequately to enable proper and appropriate control of your and other people’s emotions at all times.

The second additional type of intelligence that we all need in order to be successful in life is MQ and it deals with your integrity, responsibility, sympathy, and forgiveness. If endowed by this type of intelligence, you will treat yourself in the same way other people will treat you. Keeping commitments, maintaining your integrity, and being honest are crucial to moral intelligence.

In order to boost your MQ, make fewer excuses and take responsibility for your actions. Keep to the truth at all times by avoiding little white lies. Show sympathy for and communicate respect to others. Practise acceptance and show tolerance of other people’s shortcomings. Forgiveness is not just about how we relate to others; it’s also how you relate to and feel about yourself. In other words, forgive others at the earliest opportunity and do not be too hard on yourself either.

Related Articles

Check Also
Close
Back to top button