The Emotional Secret To Success

It’s clear that having a high IQ will give you an edge in life, but what is it that truly separates people who are wildly successful in their personal and work lives?

- Claire Soong

We all know having a high IQ is crucial for landing jobs in technical fields, but for general career advancement, it turns out there’s something even more important – having a high EQ (emotional quotient).

EQ is defined as a measure of how well you communicate and interact with yourself and others, a skill that needs to be honed to succeed in your career. An article published in the Harvard Business Review found that, “The process of excelling early in your career involves realising that while brains and hard work got you in the door, you now have to focus on learning from others and being the best at adapting, collaborating, and listening.”

While it isn’t quantifiable in the way that IQ is, Beata Justkowiak, psychologist and life coach at Energising Goals, says that having a high EQ offers a host of benefits.

Emotional intelligence

First of all, it means you communicate well with others, the foundation of building strong relationships. Having a high EQ also means you have a heightened sense of self-awareness, which Beata says can “improve decision making by helping with thought processes and combating distractions.”

According to Beata, a high EQ is especially crucial for bankers, lawyers and consultants because networking is such a big part of their climb up the corporate ladder.