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The Myth that all Christian leaders are clever.


IQ, EQ or PQ.



Late last year I had the privilege of lecturing on Emotional intelligence to a group of highly gifted students, in Malaysia, many of them far more clever than I. Over the week it became apparent that one of the students just wasn't getting it.  When interacting with him, he confided in me that he just didn't understand how EQ was going to help him with his particular ministry, dealing with a number of young pastors. "I just don't know how EQ will help me with this" He kept telling me. My telling him to look to his own character, nature, life experience and how he deals with others for the answer just wasn't good enough. I realised that what this man wanted was a scientific formula or process that would help him sort his problem out.

The man was a professional having been university trained. Systems, projects, structures and highly complex issues were no problem to him, he was a highly intelligent person. IQ wasn't the issue. His issues stemmed from his ability to deal with people. He often sorted out problems for people rather than trust them to sort out their own problems. Rather than guide and instruct from experience he tried to put a system and structure in place that was rigid and lacked any personal appeal. His EQ told him to trust himself rather than trust others.


Now while his EQ can be learnt and developed and with time and experience he can overcome such issues, one other thing he lacked and this was perhaps the crux of his particular problem. He lacked PQ or political quotient.

Political quotient or PQ is the ability to influence and persuade people to go in a particular direction, build networks and develop leaders which will not only follow you but have others follow them. It is about building others up to take your place and move your vision forward. It is about helping others through your own life experience to find resources and sort their own problems out.

You do not have to be the cleverest person in the room, it isn't about an intellectual or academic outcome it is about changing lives through our own. It is about EQ and PQ acting in tandem.

Food for thought perhaps.
If you would like to read more about leadership or emotional intelligence why not read my book.
                                                      it can be found on Amazon.com

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