How Is Your Smart Working For You?

I sometimes wonder just how smart I really am. It may be the world around me is moving more quickly and I am missing a step or it may be a fitness piece I need to become a little more serious about in my life.

I remember reading years ago about studies that were showing people with higher IQs outperforming people with average IQs 20% of the time while people with average IQs were outperforming those with higher IQs 70% of the time. I heard the term "emotional intelligence" for the first time in Daniel Goleman's great book by that title. Since that time, emotional intelligence" has become a more familiar conversation but I wonder how seriously it is really being taken.

Recently, I have become aware all over again of the widening generational gaps in which we find ourselves. We have people who are generation "Yer's". Others who are straddling Y and X. Some who are pure generation "Xer's". And, there are those who are between generatons X and "Boomers". Of course there are those who are pure Boomers and then there are those like me who are somewhere between being boomers and death. It really is complicated. There are different languages. Differerent cultures. Entirely different propensities toward technology. And, interestingly different approaches to relationships.

Here's the point. There has never been a time when "emotional intelligence" has been more in play. I just know I am not nearly as fit as I need to be. I have been reading the new book by Bradberry and Greaves, Emotional Intelligence 2.0. They have done a wonderful job of reminding us that while we can do nothing about changing our IQ or our basic personalities we can change our emotional intellingence. They provide a test for benchmarking purposes as you work on the emotional growth process. I learned I have a lot of work to do.

So, here is the bad news. No matter how smart you think you are you probably are not nearly as smart as you need to be in order to truly stay relationally connected to the world around you. The good news is the key is available. "Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships". Check out their book for the rest of the story. I believe the emotional dimension is the fitness piece that will be getting alot of my personal attention. How about you? Do well.