What is Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ)?

Emotional intelligence is a concept proposed by American psychologists Dr. Peter Salovey & Dr. John D. Mayer in 1990. It refers to the ability to manage and use emotions well. Although it was originally termed EI (Emotional Intelligence), it gained wider recognition when various media began calling it Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), drawing a contrast with Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

Drs. Salovey and Mayer define EQ as comprising four elements (Figure 1). Their studies indicate that developing these abilities allows individuals to express emotions appropriately and form strong interpersonal relationships. In contrast to IQ—which is widely known to have a significant genetic component—EQ is less dependent on genetics and can be developed through training and learning.

EQ: The Key to Cultivating High-Performance Leaders

Traditionally, people with high IQs were believed to be more successful in business. However, research by Salovey and Mayer shows that individuals with high EQ, meaning strong interpersonal skills, tend to achieve greater success than those with high IQs alone.

American psychologist Daniel Goleman also surveyed 188 global companies to determine which executive attributes contributed most significantly to organizational performance. When analyzing personal abilities in three categories—(1) technical proficiency (e.g., accounting, business planning), (2) intellectual ability (≈IQ, including analytical reasoning), and (3) emotional intelligence (EQ)—he found that EQ had twice the impact on corporate performance compared to the other two factors, regardless of an individual’s position within the company. The linkage between a company's performance and a leader's EQ has been revealed in various other studies. From these findings, in the World Economic Forum’s “The Future of Jobs Report 2020,” EQ was listed among the “Top 15 Skills for 2025,” underscoring its significance as a key business skill.

Tomorrow’s Leaders Need More Than Just IQ and EQ

While both IQ and EQ are essential for business success, recent discussions suggest that these abilities alone may not be sufficient for future leaders.

For example, some people do understand and empathize with others' feelings but become so emotionally involved that they cannot respond appropriately. Others might exploit this understanding to manipulate people. Therefore, even those with high EQ do not necessarily make the right decisions. This is why the ability known as DQ has begun to attract attention.

Simply put, DQ refers to the ability to not only empathize with employees and colleagues, but also to act altruistically with a sense of ethics.

In addition, various "XQs" apart from DQ are listed as skills required for future leaders (Figure 2). However, research on "XQ" other than IQ and EQ remains limited, making this a promising area for future study.

Why not stay ahead of the curve and check which "XQ" you should focus on developing?

Figure 1: The Four Elements of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Source: Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

Source: Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

Figure 2: A List of "XQs" Deemed Necessary for Leaders

Source: Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

Source: Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

Original in Japanese:
https://www.dlri.co.jp/report/dlri/448950.html