Emotional Intelligence, EQ, or Emotional Agility - What’s the Difference?
Adaptability and resilience are now cornerstones of success in a post-COVID world, where hybrid work, digital transformation, and people-centric business models are the new norms. Amidst this shift, Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Emotional Agility are essential skills across all levels of leadership and team dynamics.
It is now widely recognised that strong Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a critical factor in leadership success. As organisations embrace operational agility, high EI across all levels must be ingrained into ways of working, personal and team development, and culture. Business agility ensures organisations can adapt quickly to change and build resilience. Agile ways of working build agility through a people-centric approach fuelled by collaboration, transparency, autonomy and transformational leadership.
Without strong EI leaders will:
Fail to build high performing teams
Struggle with change
Lack resilience
Be unable to deal with conflict effectively
Lack the collaborative approach needed to work cross-functionally
My article from 21st October 2024 focused on some high-profile corporate ‘fails’ where poor EI led to career-ending situations. In this article I provide some clarity regarding the relationship between EI, EQ and Emotional Agility, terms which are used interchangeably and though related, provide different aspects of what it means to develop our interpersonal skills.
Emotional Intelligence: The Foundation of Interpersonal Skills
What is Emotional Intelligence?
The ability to perceive, understand and express our feelings accurately, and to control our emotions so they work for us not against us.
Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to recognise, understand, manage, and influence your own emotions and those of others. It is a set of skills that enables individuals to navigate social complexities, maintain relationships, and make decisions based on emotional awareness.
The term was popularised by psychologist Daniel Goleman, who outlined five key components of EI:
Self-awareness - Recognising your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behaviour
Self-regulation (or Self-management) - Controlling impulsive feeling, managing emotions in healthy ways, taking initiative, adapting to change
Motivation - Harnessing emotions to remain focused on goals despite setbacks
Empathy (or Social awareness) - Understanding and considering others' emotions, which aids in developing better relationships
Social skills (or Relationship management): Developing good relationships, communicating well, inspiring and influencing others, managing conflict and working well as a team
Emotional Quotient (EQ): Measuring Emotional Competence
What is Emotional Quotient (EQ)?
EQ is the measurement or score that reflects one's level of Emotional Intelligence. It’s similar to how IQ (Intelligence Quotient) measures cognitive abilities. EQ tests assess how well someone can perceive, control, and evaluate emotions, both in themselves and others.
So, EQ is essentially the measurable outcome of EI. The terms are often used interchangeably, but technically:
EI is the ability itself
EQ is the quantified measure of that ability
Emotional Agility…
Is about internal flexibility, growth & mindful action when faced with negative emotions. Navigating emotions in a way that aligns with your values & goals.
Emotional Agility: Flexibility in Emotion-Driven Actions
What is Emotional Agility?
The absence of pretence and performance, it’s the ability to be real. It gives your actions greater power because they emanate from your core values and core strength.
Emotional Agility, a term coined by psychologist Susan David, is the ability to navigate and respond to your emotions in a way that aligns with your values and goals. It focuses on embracing your thoughts and feelings, especially difficult ones, rather than suppressing or ignoring them.
Key elements of Emotional Agility include:
Acknowledging emotions - Recognising and naming emotions without judgement
Stepping out - Creating a mental space between the emotion and the response, allowing for a mindful and value-aligned action
Acting on values - Making decisions based on what’s truly important rather than impulsive emotional reactions
Moving forward - Using emotions as data to guide purposeful action and positive change
Emotional agility is about being adaptable, self-compassionate, and mindful when faced with challenges:
Noticing - Being open to and curious about your thoughts and emotions.
Accepting - Allowing yourself to experience these thoughts and emotions without trying to suppress or control them.
Interpreting - Understanding why you are experiencing these emotions and what they are trying to tell you.
Acting - Responding to these emotions in a way that aligns with your values and long-term goals.
So how do they relate:
EI and Emotional Agility both contribute to resilience and emotional balance but serve different purposes:
EI helps with social interactions, relationships, and leadership by enhancing empathy and emotional management.
Emotional Agility focuses more on internal flexibility, growth, and mindful action in the face of emotional challenges.
To summarise:
EI - An approach that focuses on emotional awareness and management
EQ - The measure of your EI
Emotional Agility - A more specific approach that emphasises navigating emotions in a flexible, value-driven way
How do you see Emotional Intelligence, EQ, or Emotional Agility shaping your team’s success? Comment below with your insights or experiences, and let’s discuss how these tools can fuel resilience and adaptability in today’s workplace.
A Little Disclaimer:
My words are my own. Whilst Chat GPT is an amazing resource to check my grammar, suggest better formatting and provide catchier headlines when my brain fog sets it, it cannot provide verifiable data without substantiation. It cannot replace experience or the passions and inspirations which fuel our professional lives. The data and trends I have included have been substantiated via the sources detailed below. The insights given in this article are based on my +21 years professional experience, my +6 years in senior leadership roles in The UAE and my own wide-ranging research. If this article has resonated with you please feel free to comment and share, feedback is always welcome and appreciated.
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