Difference between EQ and IQ

EQ and IQ are terms that are often confused and mistakenly used with each other. However, there are
some very important distinctions between EQ and IQ. IQ is known as “Intelligence Quotient” and it’s a
measure of a person’s relative intelligence. Emotional Quotient, also known as EQ, is the ability to
identify and manage your emotions and the emotions of others. The sky’s the limit for a person who
excels in both areas.

Intelligence Quotient

Merriam-Webster defines IQ as “a number used to express the apparent relative intelligence of a

The secondary definition is “proficiency in or knowledge of a specified subject.” “Nobody can question
this fan’s baseball IQ” is an example of the secondary definition used in a sentence.

A person scoring below 70 is typically considered to have an intellectual disability, while those scoring
over 145 are considered genius or near-genius. While it’s technically possible to score at or above 180,
two-thirds of the population have an IQ somewhere between 85-115. IQ can change over time
depending on a person’s propensity to learn new concepts.

Emotional Quotient

Emotional Quotient (EQ) is defined as an individual’s ability to sense, understand and effectively apply
the power and acumen of emotions to facilitate higher levels of collaboration and productivity. EQ is
often referred to as emotional intelligence as the terms are interchangeable.

Research shows that successful leaders and superior performers have well developed emotional
intelligence skills. This makes it possible for them to work well with a wide variety of people and to
respond effectively to the rapidly changing conditions in the business world. In fact, a person’s
emotional intelligence may be a better predictor of performance success than intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence is measured through assessments. A person answers a series of questions, and in
doing so, earns a specific score for each of the five individual sub-categories that make up EQ, as well as
an overall score. Like IQ, a person can focus on specific areas of EQ and work to improve their scores.

5 Components of Emotional Quotient

When considering emotional intelligence, we look both internally and externally. EQ considers how we
think about ourselves and how we think about and act toward others.

The stronger a person is in each of these areas, the better chances he or she possesses to achieving
greatness in most situations.

The three internal hallmarks of emotional intelligence pertinent to self are:

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions and drives, as well as
their effect on others.

Self-regulation is the ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods and the propensity to
suspend judgement and think before acting. In practice, it is your ability to influence your emotional
clarity.

Motivation is a passion to work for reasons that go beyond the external drive for knowledge, utility,
surroundings, others, power or methodology and are based on an internal drive or propensity to pursue
goals with energy and persistence.

Externally, EQ is a measure of what goes on between you and others.

Social-awareness is the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people and how your
words and actions affect others. Summed up, it’s all about assessing others.

Social-regulation is your ability to influence the emotional clarity of others through a proficiency in
managing relationships and building networks.

How to Gauge EQ
Unlike very observable behavioral styles, EQ is best measured through the use of assessments. Based on
the answers to questions, a person will score somewhere between 0 and 100. The higher the score, the
higher the EQ.

Understanding a person’s EQ, along with knowing their natural behavioral style and their drivers can
help paint a clearer picture of what that person is all about and how they will likely behave in certain
situations.

Leading voices on EQ

Daniel Goleman is a leading voice in the field of emotional intelligence. Author of the New York Times
bestseller Emotional Intelligence and Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. Dr.
Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups,
business audiences, and on college campuses.

Working as a science journalist, Goleman reported on the brain and behavioral sciences for The New
York Times for many years. His 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books) was on The New York
Times bestseller list for a year-and-a-half; it is available around the world in 40 languages.

Goleman has been quoted as saying, “emotional intelligence is the barometer of excellence on virtually
any job. Emotional intelligence counts more than IQ or expertise for excelling on the job.”

Dr. Izzy Justice, is a noted author and leading voice in the field of EQ. He is a sought-after advisor known
for providing thought leadership and talent management in the workplace.

Dr. Justice is a strong believer that just the way an athlete tires during sport, our minds and cognitive
abilities tire throughout the day and may be less effective as the day goes on. He refers to this as
emotional fatigue. Learn more about about emotional fatigue and Dr. Justice’s recommendations for
improving these areas in his blog entitled Emotional Fatigue.

Conclusion
The good news is that, just like your IQ, your EQ is not set in stone. While you may have areas in which
you struggle today, with conscious effort you can improve those scores. Doing so will help you succeed
in all situations, especially in business or social interactions.

Emotional intelligence is part knowledge, part restraint and part wisdom. Just as we spend years going
to school to build our IQ, we need to spend time each and every day working on our EQ. Having a high
IQ, without an equally high EQ, only gets us so far. But the combination of the two working in tandem
can create limitless opportunities for someone proficient in both areas.