Is Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Still a Reliable Indicator of Success?
The pursuit of professional success continues to captivate people across various sectors. It draws the attention of individuals seeking fulfillment from their jobs, employers searching for promising talent, and professionals dedicated to guiding clients toward success. But how can this success be truly achieved?
For decades, Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was considered the primary indicator of success in the professional world. However, more recent studies have shown that IQ alone is not sufficient to guarantee success. But what do we really mean by "professional success"? What role does IQ really play in this success, and what other factors are now at play?
What Is Professional Success?
Defining professional success can be challenging because it varies greatly based on each person’s unique values and goals. For some, it’s measured by financial stability; for others, by balancing work and personal life, achieving a prestigious status in the society, recognition by peers, job security, a sense of social contribution, or the ability to pursue a passion.
Beyond these criteria, professional success can also be understood through the feelings of those who achieve it. Success could be described as a state of personal satisfaction, driven by the accomplishment of goals and aspirations, the positive impact of one's work, and a sense of fulfillment. In essence, it’s a feeling of contentment and pride.
How Does IQ Impact Professional Success?
IQ assesses a person’s reasoning abilities. By assigning a score to how someone thinks, it estimates their capacity to effectively handle various situations encountered in the workplace. A high IQ is generally associated with strong abilities to absorb new information, make sound decisions, complete complex tasks, and solve problems efficiently.
On the contrary, an IQ that doesn’t meet expectations for a given position might suggest that the individual may struggle with understanding certain concepts, miss the subtleties of a situation, make less appropriate decisions, or have difficulty anticipating the consequences of their choices. Thus, the ability to think critically, adapt, and solve problems are indeed important components of professional success.
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However, IQ as a success indicator has its limitations. It doesn’t encompass other essential factors for success, such as the ability to integrate into a team, navigate tense situations, or learn from mistakes. In fact, according to pioneers of emotional intelligence like Daniel Goleman and Reuven Bar-On, IQ accounts for only about 20% of professional success.
What Other Factors Contribute to Professional Success?
Emotional Quotient (EQ), which measures a person’s ability to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions and those of others, is believed to have a more significant impact on professional success than IQ. Salovey and Mayer, the pioneers of emotional intelligence, have expressed this well. They proposed a model that distinguishes between two systems in the brain: one responsible for logical and analytical reasoning (as reflected in IQ), and the other for processing emotional abilities.
The second system enables a person to reason with their emotions and use them to guide their thinking, choices, and behaviors. It allows them to navigate complex social environments, understand the motivations of others, and make more nuanced decisions that take into account both facts and feelings.
According to these researchers, both systems are equally important. The reasoning system allows for clear understanding and thinking, while the emotional system provides insights from the environment—what’s happening, with whom, in what situation, and with what emotions. If this system is deficient, resulting in external information being perceived poorly—someone who is intellectually capable might still miss the most relevant aspects of a situation. In other words, a person with a high IQ and low EQ may struggle to build meaningful relationships, stand out in job interviews, recover from setbacks, adapt their communication toother’s needs, or assert themselves in meetings. These are the elements that contribute to thriving in one’s job, relationships, and work environment, ultimately leading to professional success.
While other factors, such as personality traits like ‘conscientiousness’, intrinsic motivations such as the ‘drive for self-improvement’, or professional aspirations like ‘actively working on one’s career goals’, also play a role in professional success, EQ is of central importance. Moreover, EQ can be developed with effort and can thus be strengthened throughout one’s career, offering an ongoing pathway to professional success.
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