I received quite some reactions to the 'mirror' blog which is very gratifying. It inspired me to write another one on the subject. Thoughts that came to my mind were other types of questions and its relation to EQ.

Some more questions. Do you feel you have given at least as much as you have taken? Does your contribution outweigh your cost? Is your output at least proportionate to the input? The philosophical undercurrent for each is one that in the long term and with patience one will always receive more that one has given.

One's ability for introspection has a lot to do with Emotional Intelligence (EQ). My strong belief is that EQ next to IQ is a differentiating competence in any business and services businesses especially. Goleman in his book 'Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ' (1996) makes strong arguments in support. Some essential traits for EQ are:

Self-awareness (Emotional Self-Awareness, Accurate, Self-Assessment and Self Confidence)
Self-management (Emotional Self-Control, Transparency, Trustworthiness,, Adaptability, Achievement Orientation, Initiative, Optimism, Conscientiousness)
Social awareness (Empathy, Organizational Awareness, Service Orientation)
Relationship management (Inspirational Leadership, Influence, Developing Others, Change Catalyst, Conflict Management, Building Bonds, Teamwork and Collaboration, Communication)

Keep looking in the mirror...

Best,
Chris

Thanks Chris for putting the focus on EQ.

I do agree that EQ can make the difference. But the step from EQ to SQ (Spiritual Intelligence) could even be more differentiating. Some elements of SQ:

- Who am I, what do I really want?
- Connecting to the deepest source of yourself
- Authentic Leadership
- To be driven from your inner strength, your own mission, your own vision
- Holistic thinking
- …

A challenge for 2009?
Mieke