EQ beats IQ

SHARED From;

theSun ON WEDNESDAY, 13 November 2013

Urban Parenting By Irene Leong

The earlier emotional education begins, the better

 

Everyone would agree that more important than academic success is for kids to grow up as happy, well-adjusted individuals.  The operative term is Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ).  EQ plays a larger role than conventional IQ in one’s happiness and success in life.  According to Daniel Coleman, psychologist, IQ is only a minor predictor of success in life, while emotional and social skills are far better predictors of success and well-being than academic intelligence.

NYU Child Study Center in US says that EQ is the best predictor of a child’s future achievement.  It is a better predictor of success than IQ and technical skills combined.  When someone has high EQ, they are likely to have a positive outlook in life, and hence would be able to cope better with everyday situations and be happier.

Some examples of great EQ from Conley’s Top 10 EQ Fortune 500 CEOs

• Jamie Damian, CEO of JPMorgan Chase said that people’s IQ’s are high enough for them to be successful, but some often fall short on the EQ.  He said, EQ is something that people develop over time and a lot of management skills are EQ because management is all about people function.
• eBay CEO, John Donahoe’s disciplined self-awareness and listening ability has created a deeply loyal team and a healthy, evolving culture.
• Allan Mullay, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company has a good interpersonal skills that he was able to make his employee fell like they are the only one in the room when having conversation with him.

Most charming, charismatic and influential figures have high EQ.  It’s about one’s social effectiveness; how they relate to the world, engage with people and create an impact with their action.  EQ is not something that can be cultivated overnight.

Logically, learning begins at home.  Socializing and the development of social skills is a vital part of early childhood education.  A child’s emotional and social skills can be cultivated for their well-being, performance and success in life.  Five (5) crucial emotional competencies basic to social and emotional learning as outlined by Goleman are:

1.     Self-awareness (and awareness of others)

2.    Emotional management

3.    Self-motivation

4.    Empathy

5.    Relation management (includes handling friendships and resolving conflicts)

The earlier emotional education begins the better.  Parents need to be attentive to the social and emotional needs of their young children to ensure their transition to adolescence is easier.  The children should have a mindset that allows them to be motivated by failure.  Strong characters are born at home.