Managerial intelligence - a battle with oneself or the well-being of the team?
"My name is Olesya Ulyanova and I am a manager." I have been working in top management for over 7 years and I have passed all stages from intuit management to leadership, which I am continuously developing. Currently, I am mainly engaged in growing, or one might say nurturing managers both in the company as a CEO, and in the corporate segment of other companies.
This article will be useful both to people who are hearing about types of intelligence for the first time, and to managers who are already familiar with EQ (including all its charms) and understand that emotional intelligence alone will not get you far.
I want to offer you a system of intelligence, its structure, and relationships, as well as what you need to do to develop each of them. I was able to visualize this system for the first time in October 2020 at a conference. Later it was all about painstaking work with successful results. Without this system, it is simply impossible to move from the level of administrative manager to the level of leadership.
Hundreds of books and articles have been written about types of intelligence. In the 90s, IQ (cognitive intelligence) was popular - everyone rushed to take the Eysenck test. Then some experts learned about Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and only EQ entered the market. Our society is arranged in such a way that only 10-15% of humanity has what is called systematic thinking. We "consume" the content that becomes popular without really bothering about the basics or the built structure. So, let's start with the interconnections…
Some of the intelligence belong to Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, some are derived from atomic intelligence. Let’s go over them one by one.
IQ (cognitive intelligence): verbal, logical-mathematical, and spatial intelligence. EQ (emotional intelligence): intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. MQ (managerial intelligence): adaptive, political intelligence, and internal energy (vital energy) quotient. VQ (vital energy quotient). PQ (political intelligence): not to be confused with PQ-Physical Intelligence and PQ-Positive Intelligence. AQ (adaptive intelligence): cognitive, emotional, and positive intelligence.
Let's start with simple personal intelligence. There are four of them: cognitive (IQ), emotional (EQ), physical (PQ), and spiritual (SQ). Stephen Covey also wrote about these four areas, they are the basis for the development of any core competencies.
IQ abilities – problems, tasks, money. Result-oriented, simplifies and solves problems. Formulates clear expectations (goals and deadlines) and fulfils them. Manages the search for solutions. Knows the main indicators of activity and tests new ideas based on them. How to develop? ● Write down your thoughts. ● Read books, and develop a worldview. ● Solve math problems. ● Memorize poems.
EQ abilities – communication with people, reflection. Shows sincere interest in the team, and has loyal supporters. He knows how to listen, and understands people's needs. Helps others to find effective ways of working, and does not impose a single style of work. Delegates important tasks that develop people, do not look for culprits. How to develop? The four main components of EQ are: ● Self-awareness. The ability to be aware of and analyze one's own emotions, as well as knowledge of one's weaknesses and strengths. Immerse yourself in your emotions every day. ● Self-management. The ability to manage one's emotions and maintain emotional balance even in critical situations. Amortization and switching techniques will help here. ● Empathy. Understanding the emotions of others and the ability to communicate with others taking into account their inner state. ● Relationship skills. The ability to interact with people, manage their emotions, resolve conflicts, work in a team, or lead it.
PQ abilities are strength, plasticity, stability, and endurance. Able to manage strong excitement. Has the physical resources to express emotions. Manages and reduces the effects of stressful situations. How to develop? ● Use the technique of normalizing breathing and meditation. ● Train motor skills. ● Do sports. ● Take care of your health.
SQ ability – solving problems of meaning and values. Consciousness. I know and believe in what deeply motivates me. Spontaneity. Life is in the flow of changes. Congruence. Correspondence of values, actions, and results. Integrity. A vision of cause-and-effect relationships with a sense of belonging. How to develop? ● Compare the price and value of what is happening. ● Adequately perceive yourself and the world. ● Compare the outside world and your point of view.
Formed personal intelligence accompanies the development of interpersonal skills.
AQ ability – how to adapt to the world. Can accept changes and understand their importance. Do not be afraid of difficulties and uncertainty. Focuses on finding non-standard solutions. Quickly adapts to new conditions. How to develop? ● omplete new tasks. ● Always choose the unknown. ● Choose "navigator" less often. ● Visualize different options of events and solve these tasks.
PQ (positive) abilities – creative and proactive behavior. The ability to convert a failure into a bonus. Skills up avoiding pessimism. Absence of stereotypes and limits of thinking. How to develop? ● "Come to terms" with your inner critics. ● Learn to motivate your "inner" hero. ● Look for the bright side in negative events. ● Analyze feelings and emotions and do not let negativity run rampant.
Now we come to the most important thing - managerial intelligence. Once again, this is a combination of adaptive and political intelligence and the coefficient of vital energy.
MQ abilities – the ability to maneuver between drops. Understand the importance of goals at an abstract level. Know how to take a step back, and win a battle, not a fight. Motivate, inspire and engage the team. How to develop? ● Choose people for the team by ability, not by "convenience". ● Set ambitious goals for yourself first. ● Cultivate awareness and avoid autopilot. ● Know more about people than they know about themselves. ● Show a personal example.
VQ ability – the level (coefficient) of vital energy. Stimulates vitality and drive. Forms resource states. It is the basis for the development of competencies. "Infects" the energy of other people. How to develop? ● Work with the body, the optimal nutrition-training regimen. ● Use the discipline of the mind, the concentration of mental energy. ● The scale of the goals - win globally, not locally.
PQ abilities (political) – how to achieve goals. Understands key sources: money, information, skills, customers, and resources. Knows where power is concentrated, and creates alliances with key figures. Knows how to say "no" veiledly, and looks for alternative solutions. Manages change, and focuses more on people than on the project. How to develop? ● Enlist the support of the team and the company. ● Skill up negotiation and persuasion. ● Set goals and achieve results. ● Increase your "visibility" within the company.
The system is quite simple, yet there is a whole chasm between understanding the competencies and their development. The challenge is that you cannot jump over without developing personal skills, and start immediately with interpersonal skills, which are needed at work and home. The first step is a personal path, only then you can transform yourself as a manager through multi-layering. This path is endless, it will never be possible to say that you have fully developed managerial intelligence or become a guru in it. Yet, the path is interesting and exciting, it gives results of another abstract level: valuable and conceptual. Intuitive management has sunk into the past and we, as managers, simply cannot afford to manage from inspiration anymore. Our teams deserve professional leaders!