The six quotients of modern leadership

Workplace culture is constantly evolving, and leadership skills must change accordingly. To be a leader in the 21st century, you need personal and professional skills that are beyond traditional capabilities.

Today, the essential qualities of modern leadership can be categorised under 6 quotients (6 Qs): intelligence, digital, emotional, cultural, social and adversity quotient. An effective and innovative leader encompasses qualities from all 6 Qs.

In this blog, we will define what each quotient means, list the relevant leadership skills and tips on how to develop those skills.

INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ)

The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is a measure of your cognitive abilities such as logical reasoning, comprehension and maths skills.

Leaders with a high IQ can:

• Break down a problem, develop solutions and execute the best one with care and accuracy.
• Reason logically and clearly explain their thought processes to others.
• Explain complex problems in simple terms.
• Inspire others to perform their best and work towards the vision of the business.
• Anticipate and avoid obstacles.
• Learn from their mistakes and not repeat them.

Tips to improve your leadership IQ:

• Practise self-awareness - learn whether your leadership style works or doesn’t work for your team and take steps to improve collaboration.
• Use your full range of skills. Do not just focus on traditional leadership skills such as strategy and reasoning, look at other skills you are not fully using (e.g. creativity, interpersonal).
• Learn how to react appropriately in different situations (e.g. conflict, tight deadlines).

Effective leaders can explain their reasoning and solutions to their team and the wider organisation in a way they can understand. Your ideas cannot just make sense to you, nor can you rely on your intellect to the exclusion of all others. People are more willing to trust you if they feel valued and are part of the decision-making process.

DIGITAL QUOTIENT (DQ)

The Digital Quotient (DQ) assesses digital readiness and ability to evolve your technology skills. Today, digital technology is increasingly integrated into jobs. It could be something simple as meeting over Zoom or sharing documents on a cloud-based application to more complicated systems such as data analytics or generative AI.

Leaders with a high DQ:

• Lead transformation and focus on integrating digital into all aspects of the business (e.g. processes, culture).
• Collaborate with teams to find root problems and make efforts to resolve them.
• Gravitate towards high-risk initiatives and complex projects.
• Analyse market trends, customer behaviour (e.g. data mapping of customer journeys) and emerging technologies to shape strategy.
• Look at ways to speed up processes (e.g. working with IT to automate communications).
• Identify their employees’ digital skills gaps and organise relevant training programs and on-the-job learning.
• Build networks of people and technologies that can provide complementary capabilities.
• Monitors data rigorously to refine products and services.

Tips to improve your DQ:

• Keep updated about industry trends and emerging technologies.
• Take online tutorials or courses, attend networking and tech events, join professional groups, read tech news and listen to podcasts.
• Embrace new apps, trial new software and investigate new social media channels.
• Participate in experiential learning or virtual work experience programs. For example, Practera connects students with industry projects of global businesses.
• Trial ideas. Think of a process from your work. Strategise how you could digitise or automate it (e.g. reduce sign-up time for a bank account, integrate multiple data sources, introduce a cloud-based system for online collaboration). Pitch it to your manager and listen to their feedback.

EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT (EQ)

The Emotional Quotient (EQ) is a measure of your ability to regulate and express your emotions in a socially acceptable way.

Leaders with a high EQ:

• Have good interpersonal skills and can build strong or improve relationships.
• Can inspire a shared vision, collaboration, and foster a positive working environment.
• Can empathise with their team members and see things from their perspective.
• Can control their feelings so their decisions are not based on their emotions even in highly stressful situations.
• Knows the value of each person they work with and is open to their ideas and opinions.
• Knows how to reduce the stress of team members, resolve workplace conflict, and improve job satisfaction.
• Give opportunities to their staff to develop their skills, learn from their mistakes, and develop confidence in decision-making.

Tips to improve your EQ:

• Be aware of your emotions and responses to help you communicate effectively.
• Be open to other people’s feedback and be willing to improve.
• Actively listen to your team by asking them questions or summarising their ideas.
• Be kind and encouraging especially during challenging periods.
• Practise empathy.

CULTURAL QUOTIENT (CQ)

Cultural intelligence is the ability to understand, adapt to and leverage cultural differences to lead teams. It means understanding the behaviours and expectations of different cultures and adjusting your leadership style to suit. This diversity can relate to either the work culture of an organisation or the background of an individual (e.g. nationality, ethnicity, gender etc). In an increasingly globalised world, leaders will deal with people from different backgrounds. Understanding and respecting each culture will result in effective communication and decision-making. If you want to expand your business into international markets, leaders with high CQ can understand the dynamics of each market, adapt strategies, and form solid partnerships. Today, many people value workplaces that embrace diversity and inclusion, and leaders with high CQ will be able to recruit top talent.

Leaders with a high CQ:

• Can create an inclusive environment where employees from various backgrounds feel valued and can contribute their best.
• Learn how work culture shapes an organisation so they can better enhance productivity.
• Learn cultural differences (acceptable/not acceptable customs, body language, reward systems etc) to better interact with others.
• Involve team members from diverse backgrounds in decision-making processes.
• Are better equipped to navigate and resolve conflicts because they can understand different perspectives.

Tips to improve your CQ:

• Learn about different cultures and how they differ from your own. You can research online or talk to people from different nationalities.
• Be open-minded and accept that there are different ways of doing things.
• Don’t force your way on others. Try to see things from their perspective.
• Learn how to effectively communicate across different cultures.
• Be patient with language barriers.
• Learn a new language. People will appreciate you trying to speak their language and it could open doors to new opportunities.

SOCIAL QUOTIENT (SQ)

The Social Quotient measures the ability to understand and excel in social situations. It evaluates how someone manages different people, how they present themselves and their ideas to others, and know what to say and not to say.

Leaders with a high SQ:

• Understand and respond to the dynamics of their team. They can unite people and resolve conflicts.
• Build solid relationships, navigate different social settings, and sense verbal and non-verbal cues (e.g. body language).
• Can predict responses of their team to major decisions and develop ways to ensure a smoother transition.
• Know the motivations, goals and strengths of each of their team members and aligns them with the organisation’s vision.
• Understand the perspectives of internal and external stakeholders and can effectively communicate with them.

Tips to improve your SQ:

• Be curious and take an interest in other people’s lives.
• Actively listen when they share their thoughts and opinions.
• Ask them questions.
• Learn the rules and norms of different social environments.
• Be open to and adapt to new ideas and experiences.

ADVERSITY QUOTIENT (AQ)

The Adversity Quotient (AQ) measures a person’s ability to cope with and tackle difficult circumstances. Everyone faces challenges but some people are better equipped to deal with them than others. They can persevere through the challenges, learn something from them and better handle similar challenges in the future.

Leaders with a high AQ:

• Are effective in managing change.
• See change as opportunities and paths for growth.
• Thrive in stressful and difficult situations and come out stronger.
• Have a growth mindset and learn from their mistakes.
• Can navigate complex and challenging situations and help their team to do the same; creating a culture of resilience.

The world is increasingly uncertain, and you need to be able to adapt to changes quickly. The recent COVID-19 pandemic was a big interruption and people looked to medical and political leaders to handle the crisis, and promptly deliver solutions to resolve it. Organisations had to change work systems to accommodate their employees to work from home. Individuals needed to adjust to new restrictions and routines. Those with high AQ would have adjusted and persevered through the daily challenges, strengthened their mental health and learned new skills.

Tips to raise your AQ:

• When faced with a challenge, try to produce a list of solutions and see it as an opportunity to build your resilience.
• Seek advice and support from trusted family members and friends who have been through a similar difficulty.
• Embrace change instead of resisting it because change will always happen.
• Work on developing your ability to manage your emotions in difficult circumstances.
• Remember that everyone goes through difficulties, not just you.
• The difference is how you respond to them.

SELF-REFLECTION

A modern leader is versatile with skills from the 6 Qs to lead a team and create a productive working environment. The achievements of today’s leaders go beyond the profit margin. They are credited with their ability to connect, inspire and build relationships with people from different backgrounds. The next generation of workers - Gen Z - desire more than financial reward; they seek purpose, collaboration and want to be valued and heard.

Leadership skills are not something you are born with. Each skill can be learned and developed through continuous training.

Set aside time for self-reflection and evaluate what your strengths and your areas of improvement are under each quotient. You can seek feedback from your friends and colleagues, upskill with short courses or find a mentor who inhabits the skills you want to develop.

Want to develop your leadership skills and invest in your career? Our MBA will provide you with the expertise, skills, and ethical standards needed to succeed in the world of business. Read our Ultimate Guide to doing an MBA in Australia to discover how an MBA is your next step in advancing your career.

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