Is Your IQ Higher than Your EQ

Tonight I had the opportunity to hear Nancy Avera, a marketing communications consultant, talk about networking success as it relates to your "EQ." You've heard of IQ, right? Your intelligence level as it relates to problem-solving and word-usage. EQ is your emotional intelligence.

The term was defined, and the field basically created, by Daniel Goldman. Ironically, his first book requires a high IQ to read - it's very academic. Bottom line is that he found people who had a higher EQ actually did better in life than those who had a high IQ and a lower EQ.

Low EQ? Or just a major Lance Armstrong fan?

High emotional intelligence means having the ability to recognize, understand and manage emotions in yourself and in interactions with others. If you have a high EQ, you're likely to be very good at networking.

1. The good news is that unlike IQ which is fixed throughout your life, your EQ can be developed.
   
2. Start by becoming aware of your thoughts and emotions. Then you use that awareness to stay flexible and positively direct your emotions.
   
3. Next, you'll develop social awareness where you're able to pick up no others emotions and get what's going on.
   
4. Finally, you'll be adept at relationship management, the awareness of emotion to successfully manage interactions with others.

Thanks, Nancy, for an interesting evening, and thanks to the PRSA for putting together the presentation at the Public House, where I had a lovely pint of bitters and sweet potato french fries. It doesn't get much better than that.