General election 2015: Brain or emotional intelligence?

Now we are on the verge of another general election is Sri Lanka. The Government is willing to spend Rs. 4 billion for the election. But if you really analyse how much of office time is wasted to discuss politics, it will come again close to millions (or billions?) with opportunity cost!

By voting for political parties and candidates there will be certain attributes, characteristics and qualities to be considered. People ask you to use your “brain” in voting. And also ask to vote for the candidates who have a “brain”.

What is this “brain”? There can be many definitions yet you need to use your intellectual capacity. How can you measure your intellectual capacity? That can be done through many tests. There are some IQ (Intelligent Quotient) tests. Anyway it is only one demarcation to assess your potential.

According to Forbes: “IQ tests are used as an indicator of logical reasoning ability and technical intelligence. A high IQ is often a prerequisite for rising to the top ranks of business today. It is necessary, but it is not adequate to predict executive competence and corporate success. By itself, a high IQ does not guarantee that you will stand out and rise above everyone else.”

The same article reveals that the research carried out by the Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that 85% of your financial success is due to skills in “human engineering,” your personality and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. Shockingly, only 15% is due to technical knowledge.

Additionally, Nobel Prize winning Israeli-American psychologist, Daniel Kahneman found that people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don’t, even if the likeable person is offering a lower quality product or service at a higher price.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

So there are many factors to be considered in voting than your “brain”. In this context the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) is really important. According to Goleman (who is serving as an author, psychologist, and science journalist; for 12 years, he wrote for The New York Times, specialising in psychology and brain sciences), EI is a construct as an array of positive attributes including political awareness, self-confidence, conscientiousness, and achievement motives rather than focusing only on an intelligence that could help individuals solve problems effectively (Brackett &Geher, 2006).

IQ or EI?

In his 1996 book Emotional Intelligence, Goleman argued that EQ (or emotional intelligence quotient) might actually be more important than IQ.

“IQ is still recognised as an important element of success, particularly when it comes to academic achievement. People with high IQs typically to do well in school, often earn more money, and tend to be healthier in general. But today experts recognise it is not the only determinate of life success. Instead, it is part of a complex array of influences that includes emotional intelligence among other things.

“The concept of emotional intelligence has had a strong impact in a number of areas, including the business world. Many companies now mandate emotional intelligence training and utilise EQ tests as part of the hiring process. Research has found that individuals with strong leadership potential also tend to be more emotionally intelligent, suggesting that a high EQ is an important quality for business leaders and managers to have.” – Kendra Cherry, Psychology Expert.

It is really interesting to see how phycology will impact on people with their behaviour. The month of August is really important for this country with the election. Anyway from an Asian perspective we can see still people who consider their political party as sacred. But there is a segment who vote by looking at the context with many considerations. And on the other hand it can be argued that candidates with IQ but not with EI are not a good choice as EQ is a better indicator of success of smart people! Keep in your mind Albert Einstein’s IQ was estimated at 160, Madonna’s is 140, and John F. Kennedy’s was only 119!

Selected references

http://www.forbes.com/sites/keldjensen/2012/04/12/intelligence-is-overrated-what-you-really-need-to-succeed/

(The writer is a Senior Lecturer and Chartered Marketer .You can reach Dr. Abeysekera on [email protected].)