Monday, July 8, 2013

Intelligence is not a good predictor of success

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Intelligence alone is not a predictor of success.

Why many intelligent people accomplish so little?

It’s Not Just About Intelligence. Knowing and not doing is not knowing.

Educators focus a lot on the intelligence quotient or IQ.  There is so much data and evidence that success and significance in life depends more on other types of quotients. We are all endowed with many different levels of IQ. All the following 7 quotients can be improved over time. Success in life depends  on how we develop and apply our quotients.

Let’s take a brief look at each one of them:

1.      Intelligence Quotient. The ratio of tested mental age to chronological age. IQ is a score derived from a set of standardized tests developed to measure a person's cognitive abilities, called intelligence, in relation to their age group. IQ tests are designed to measure our general ability to solve problems and understand concepts. This includes reasoning ability, problem-solving ability, and ability to perceive relationships between things and ability to store and retrieve information. IQ is a measure of our potential. How we apply our IQ by using the other quotients determines our level of significance in life.

2.      Emotional Quotient. EQ refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. People who score high on emotional intelligence tend to be skilled at interpreting, understanding, and acting upon emotions; they know how to channel their emotions. They are adept at dealing with social or emotional conflicts, expressing their feelings, and dealing with emotional situations. They use their emotional energy for a great cause. They quickly turn rejection into positive energy to accomplish tasks and do great deeds.

3.      Adversity Quotient. AQ is all about turning obstacles into opportunities. AQ is the most scientifically robust and widely used method in the world for measuring and strengthening human resilience. High AQ individuals are quick to get up from every fall and have a high speed of learning from their failures. Greatness only comes to those that deal with adversity without placing blame on others. The road to great achievement is treacherous and full of obstacles to be dealt with.

4.      Confidence Quotient. CQ measures our level of confidence to deal with life’s problems.        One important key to success is self-confidence. Having the right level of confidence is very important. Over confidence can portray us as too cocky and lacking confidence as being too chicken. It takes courage to have genuine self-confidence. Confidence is about recognizing our true value despite our past failures. Our value is truly priceless. CQ is the ratio of the value we believe we have to the value the world places on us.

5.      Willpower Quotient. WQ measures our ability to persist under any circumstances; it is our inner force for greatness. Our self-control becomes our self-mastery. The strong man is he whose whole being is subject to him, to his ability to stay the course, to get better, and to finish what he started. WQ mean that “I will until.”

6.      Faith Quotient. There is an equally opposing quotient, also called FQ, fear quotient. The Faith Quotient measures our ability to believe in the unseen. It is the belief that mental creation comes before physical creation. Do you have an unwavering belief in your own abilities and the abilities of those around you? Do you live your faith? Does your behavior show your belief? Do you belong to your faith? What is your ability to surrender to a higher power? The size of our faith will determine the size of the influence we make in this world. Most of us don’t lack intelligence, emotional control, and ability to handle adversity, confidence, or even character. We lack willpower which comes from unwavering faith.

7.      Character Quotient. This quotient is a measure of what we do in relation to what we say we will do. It is our deliveries over our promises. It is a measure of our integrity and courage. It’s our character quotient, not our intelligence quotient that will secure our futures and enable us to stand strong in our battles. Character is the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to living a significant life. A leader’s failures, and ultimately the demise, are often attributed to their lack of character. Character is the foundation upon which we build great lives and leave a legacy for centuries to come.

Greatness lies in the right use of our intelligence, in having emotional control, in having the ability to handle adversity, in having the confidence in becoming who we were created to be, in having the willpower to use our gifts to achieve our dreams, and in having the character to do what is right, what is ethical and moral, not just what is legal.

Master the above and you will live a life way beyond your wildest imagination.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)

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