For over a century, Intelligence quotient or IQ has been considered the standard measurement of ‘intelligence’ in human and non human animals. It is important to note that there is no single agreed-upon definition of intelligence, and that cultural variations as to what constitutes intelligence exists. IQ is a useful tool when measuring for ability in reasoning and logic and memory, but doesn't allow for considerations such as intuition, creativity, and people skills.
Luckily for us we live in a time where other types of intelligence have been proposed, allowing for the complexity and nuance and that is the individual human experience.
One such proposal is that of emotional intelligence.
The term Emotional Intelligence was first coined in the 1990s and popularised by author Daniel Goleman who wrote the book "Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ.". Goleman splits emotional intelligence into 5 components:
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale was published in 1955 by David Wechsler, and remains the most commonly used IQ test. Wechsler considered intelligence to be “the global capacity of a person to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment”
The most recent Wechsler IQ scale breaks down intelligence into 4 strictly rational areas:
As you can see from the above list, IQ refers to attributes that are important when considering someones technical ability as a programmer for example. However these attributes bear no reflection on how an individual would fit in to a particular work environment, and what they could contribute to a healthy workplace culture as a part of a team.
First and foremost EQ is important because us humans are social animals. We thrive on building positive relationships and working cooperatively.
We spend a considerable chunk of our lives at work, and the relationships we foster at work are of great importance to ourselves, the humans that surround us, and the success of an organisation as a whole.
Group projects in particular, benefit from healthy EQ of those involved, and employers are increasingly aware of this.
Research in the tech space in particular shows that when looking at the 6 factors that distinguish top performers from average performers, 4 out of the 6 factors factors pertain to EQ rather than IQ.
In short, not being a d*&k will get you well on your way in the tech industry, high wizard JS ability will come all in good time.....