Spiritual intelligence is more important than IQ.

When I was in high school, I had a kind of desire to increase my IQ. I was going to private courses, doing training, I was taking tests, solving problems all the time; and it was like very important for me, one to have a high IQ score. I used to think that IQ determines how much intelligent is one. But actually, that wasn’t the case. The IQ tests, are intended to measure intelligence, but there are criticisms over “the true meaning of intelligence” for over a hundred years, and still remains unsettled. What an IQ  test actually measures is not actual intelligence, but a person’s ability for intelligence. In other words, it does not test on learned information but instead, it tests a person’s capacity to learn information. Finally, I’ve noticed that there are types of intelligence as important as IQ that a successful leader should possess, such as emotional intelligence(EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ).

“To lead people entails understanding them, To understand them requires intelligence.”  

-Baruch Spinoza, The 17th century philosopher

Capitalism as we know it, business as we know it, is not working. It has made a lot of money but it also made a huge mess that is undermining the making of money. So they’re losing the game. And there is a growing realization in the world of business today that the business got to look out a sense of purpose, a sense of values, that goes beyond just making money. Because making money isn’t sufficient motivation for your work, then they’re not getting the best. There are several business leaders have said; “I’m not getting the best out of myself, all I’m doing is making money, it’s not fulfilling.”

What is spiritual intelligence?

People often confuse the word spirituality, especially in the workplace because they think they’re going to get some religious dogma forested on them. Spirituality is not the same as religion. They’re different.  Personally, I think in order to understand spiritual intelligence it is useful to first be clear on what we mean when we use these two words.

Spirituality is to know who you are, while Spiritual intelligence is to realize who you are. You may think you know who you are, but it requires awareness and realization; because since you are aware, you can change or control the things that are not good.

Leadership and Spiritual Intelligence:

Spiritual intelligence is especially important for leaders because it allows the leader to take the society’s perspective while also doing empathy. Spiritual leaders are not power-hungry but they do their job for the help of the other people. Over several years people have been asked the same question at the start of workshops or seminars. The question is: “Who do you admire as a spiritual leader?” and they’ve  got the same list of names—for example: Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Paulo Coelho, Nelson Mandela, the historical Buddha, and Thich Nhat Hanh. When you ask them “ Why do you admire them? You get answers like, because they’re honest, wise, kind, peaceful, non-violent, patient, seeing the good in others, helping others, inspiring, generous and open-minded. These leaders were perceived as having the best interests of other people at heart…In other words, they were trusted.

The living conditions and problems we face as a species, as countries, and as individuals demand complex solutions. The last thing the world needs is another ego-driven, power-hungry executive whose decisions benefit only a small group. The leaders we really need are passionate, personal and purpose-driven people. The leaders we need are spiritual intelligent leaders.

 

Copyright: Dream Humanity