Quotients for Self Management
When you observe attributes of outstanding leaders , their FIRST endeavour is managing the self ( Self Management ). Only when they have mastered/acquired control over their mind, heart, body and soul can they lay claim to their right to teach/lead others. Hence they begin with the FIRST.
Acquiring self imposed control over mind, heart, body and soul would in management language mean: IQ, EQ, CQ, RQ and SQ.
IQ (Intelligence Quotient):
In most humans IQ is a given. It is a divine gift. Some others might say it is transmitted through the genes. The issue is not the level of IQ one has, but how much one can leverage it. Early bloomers leverage it, beginning from childhood. Late bloomers start to leverage it in their teens. There are some very late bloomers, who start leveraging it towards end of teens or perhaps in their early 20s. Some unfortunate ones never learn how to leverage it.
Conclusion/Action
Don’t blame the giver or the given. Take responsibility for leveraging for what you have been given. Leveraging is a very enjoyable experience. It leads to conscious growth. Visible growth. Growth that close ones notice and compliment you for changing!! Let’s do the doable, leveraging !!
And not lament over what has been given!!
EQ (Emotional Quotient):
This is certainly not a given! It is hugely learnable and acquirable. In effect EQ would mean the ability to manage one’s emotions (and consequently, that of others). Managing both positive emotions (passion, zest) and negative emotions (anger, restlessness) is essential and necessary. Higher EQ would mean better control/regulation over both positive and negative emotions . EQ is like a car battery. As you run the car, the battery acquires more charge. More the merrier. Yes, with age the battery may lose the ability to acquire charge. In the case of current age homosapiens , this loss of ‘acquisition power ‘ may happen in their 80s. Meaning, till the 80s, run the car, the batteries will acquire more charge and keep regulating / growing the EQ.
Conclusion / Action:
EQ can lead to effective self-management. Higher EQ can help us lead and help serve our sub-ordinates (and surely , the bosses) better. When you serve your sub-ordinates, you simply and automatically get followership. It’s then, that you are not known by the position you hold. People recognise YOUR stature and voluntarily respect you as an individual. Status is an external manifestation. Stature is the internal being. We might not get statues erected in public places, but statues may get erected in the heart of our followers and manifest in what they speak and actions they take (even in our absence).
People with extraordinary EQ are at ease even in a tempest. By virtue of their being, they keep everybody around them in highly motivated and calm minded. High EQ leads to Equanimity. What more can you ask for? Great QOL! Great friendships. Devoted teams and bosses who trust you in all circumstances!!
EQ and its attendant benefits and consequences are completely acquirable.
CQ (Comprehension Quotient):
In today ‘s times, individuals with growth mindset need to acquire and grow their CQ. Each one of us needs to have working knowledge of almost everything. A RnD professional may not be able to read a balance sheet. But he needs to understand ROCE, RONW, Pay Back and so forth. That’s just one example. The essential part is to acquire the ability to ask relevant questions and have an intelligent and meaningful social conversation. Many people in the 40s begin to drift away from their children because they lose communication with their children. They blame it on the “generation gap”, but essentially it’s the gap in their CQ that causes this.
Conclusion/Action
As we grow older, we start losing our curiosity. We are so used to being taught/trained, we forget that self -learning is the best form of learning! And self-learning does not happen, without a healthy dose of curiosity. We humans were born curious. But schooling, parenting killed it!!!! The fire though is not extinguished. It remains simmering. Start where you left and you will enjoy every moment of exploring new avenues.
Most importantly, your children will respect you for evolving/growing. Society at large, will see you as contemporary.
RQ (Response Quotient):
Response is any behaviour of a living organism that results from an external or internal stimulus. We have no control on the stimulus, but our response can always be measured, meaningful and masterly.
People with high RQ are always in high demand within family, society and corporates. They are seen as value adders or problem solvers or even as issue preventers!
Conclusion/Action.
With given IQ, optimal EQ, growing CQ , high RQ is a clear possibility . However a small, indiscernible pause to process the previous Qs will lead to RQ. What does one DO during the pause? Quickly evaluate the impact of the response. Will it lead to ease or discomfort/conflict? If it is the latter, quickly re-evaluate the response. I am convinced beyond doubt that the pregnant pause can lead to a great deliver. Does it take away spontaneity? Initially, it might . Eventually the pause will become invisible to others. All of us know that perception regarding every individual is formed by the response a person generates.
SQ (Spiritual Quotient):
This is probably the easiest to understand. But the most difficult to internalise and make it part of our intrinsic persona. Everything happens for a reason. Some, we understand. Most, we don’t. And therein begins the internal strife and the resultant destruction of all the previous Qs. Life becomes hell.
Conclusion/Action:
In medicine we understand a lot, in terms of past to present . But there is a much bigger universe lying unexplored. We are all victims of our individual biochemistry and our hormones – an area that is still largely a black box. That’s exactly how life situations show up. Armed with all the Qs we may set out to win all the wars. Yes, there is a good chance of losing some battles. That’s the law of nature or spiritually put, Karma.
SQ gives us the humility of accepting that we are after all human.
Perhaps a conscious acquisition, nurturing and growth of the various Qs may make us wiser, smarter and richer. But not GOD!
Aristotle said ‘ Man is a social animal ‘.
Feedback experts tell us that we actually ARE what a majority think we are. Conscious effort to grow all the Qs( may be excluding IQ) will lead to an evolving / growing perception of us as super/better humans and as inspirational leaders.
My sense is: being sensitive to the Qs, making conscious effort to grow them will give us the courage to become and be perceived as Corporate Statesman and Thought Leaders.
What is stopping us?
Mr. Narayan Gad is a veteran business professional having handled C-Suite responsibilities across various pharmaceutical companies. His last corporate assignment was as the CEO of Panacea Biotec Ltd.. He is now an active business consultant and specializes in training senior managers on leadership and business skills.
