Sarah Piluden-Natu-El
Myth: Your IQ is low if you have high emotional intelligence. If you are incredibly smart, you have low EQ.
Fact: EQ and IQ aren’t mutually exclusive.
What does this mean?
It’s possible to have high IQ and EQ at the same time.
They’re an extraordinary, hard-to-find breed, that’s for sure.
However, people who have a rare combination of high IQ and high EQ do exist. And they usually display these 9 behaviors:
1) They embrace challenging situations
Admit it:
Us mere mortals would rather cruise through life without jumping through its hurdles, right?
But not the high EQ plus high IQ superhumans.
When challenges come their way, they roll up their sleeves and immediately dive in.
Here’s why:
People with high emotional intelligence are usually intrinsically motivated. Their drive comes from their passion for learning and personal growth and the satisfaction they get from overcoming obstacles.
So, for them, challenging situations are the all-in-one package that can deliver them these three.
But where does their above-average IQ fit in this?
Research has proven that people with high IQs tend to become bored quickly. To combat this, they immerse themself in engaged thought.
And what better way to do this than by trying to come up with solutions to problems, right?
When intelligent people are faced with challenges, they don’t get scared – they get excited.
It’s more than just having a puzzle to crack. It’s also about finding something engaging to break the boredom that often sets in.
2) They are a sucker for personal development
Whether it’s growing their knowledge bank or improving their character, people with a rare combo of high IQ and high EQ have the mindset of a lifelong learner.
It’s common knowledge that intelligent people are inherently curious. Because of this, they never regard learning as a task.
Instead, they see it as an activity that simulates their intellect and satisfies their insatiable appetite for wisdom.
And that’s not all.
Thanks to their high EQ, they also have impressive levels of self-awareness.
They know that they don’t know everything and acknowledge the areas in their lives that can be improved.
This understanding is their motivation to engage in continuous self-improvement.
Long story short, lifelong learning is not just a habit for people with high EQs and IQs.
It’s their way of life.
3) Introspection is part of their routine
Let’s step back for a bit and understand why people who possess both high EQs and high IQs are incredibly self-aware:
It’s because they make time for self-discovery.
They regularly check in on themselves through meditation, journaling, mirroring, or other forms of self-reflection.
They routinely evaluate their past and present experiences.
The intellectual side focuses on objectively evaluating the thought processes, actions, and decisions behind their actions.
On the other hand, the emotional side delves more into the motivations behind the actions, the feelings surrounding these actions, and the impacts these actions make on other people.
I like to look at it this way:
Introspection for these people is more than just a part of their self-care routine.
It’s a deliberate strategy to ensure that they deliver smarter, more sensitive, and more balanced responses to whatever life throws at them.
4) They’re open to new ideas
They courageously look within, and they aren’t afraid to look outwards, too.
This behavior is yet again part of their growth mindset and a byproduct of their self-awareness through introspection.
You know you’re dealing with an emotionally intelligent person if they see the value of other people’s opinions and ideas.
This prompts them to actively tune in to the fresh insights and perspectives.
Then, the high IQ jumps in, critically analyzing these different viewpoints and extracting important and relevant information.
In other words, their high EQ ensures they value and respect these contributions. And their high IQ helps them integrate these into existing knowledge to make their problem-solving tricks sharper and more on point.
5) They have multi-dimensional problem-solving skills
Speaking of problem-solving tricks, the high EQ and high IQ groups have a lot on their sleeve.
This involves looking at every problem through different lenses, both from the logical and emotional points of view.
The high IQ divides the problem into pieces, examining each piece from different angles and devising various alternative solutions.
The high EQ works simultaneously by evaluating how each solution could impact all individuals involved.
In short, having this multi-dimensional approach to problem-solving allows a high EQ and high IQ person to come up with not only the most logical solution, but also one that actually works for everyone.
6) They take calculated risks
According to a 2018 study, intelligent people tend to be more discerning when taking risks.
Essentially, they use a mix of problem-solving, decision-making, and mathematical skills to determine the probability of a risk being good or bad.
So, if the IQ already has this down pat, where does EQ enter the picture?
Let’s rewind a few steps, just before the three-skill mix.
Part of having high emotional intelligence is having emotional awareness and the ability to manage one’s feelings.
These two EQ skills came into play and cleared the mind of any fear or stress and ensured that the brain thought clearly, free of disruptions from these emotions.
This subtle, yet impactful work, enabled the IQ bit to figure out the risk’s probability.
Think of it like a game of basketball:
EQ cleared the court, and IQ swooped in for the game-winning shot.
7) They are some of the most resilient people you will ever meet
When people who score high on both EQ and IQ make mistakes, both quotients are equally responsible for helping the individual recover from the fall.
The IQ part does most of the analytical stuff:
What went wrong, what factors contributed to the failure, and even the mechanics of the fall.
And then, just as we said earlier, they synthesize new knowledge to their old ones to come up with better strategies for the future.
But we all know it doesn’t end there.
Failure – whether in our professional or personal lives – always comes with emotional distress.
And that’s where the high EQ shines.
It’s responsible for managing discouragement, frustration, anger, sadness, or disappointment.
Emotional intelligence prevents these emotions from clouding the person’s logical thinking, allowing the cognitive side to come up with a clear and sound comeback plan.
Simply put, combining one’s high analytical prowess with their emotional resilience isn’t about just simply getting up from a fall.
It’s more about doing so with wisdom and grace.
8) They are effective communicators
Individuals with high IQs have a good grip on language.
They can transform complex ideas in a way that makes sense to the rest of us.
And when you combine that with remarkable emotional intelligence, they become a communication powerhouse.
The thing is, people with high emotional intelligence are good at reading the room.
They have a strong sense of what others feel, and they use this to adjust their communication styles to better connect with their audience.
But there’s more to communication than that. It’s a two-way street involving not just talking but also listening.
And that’s one thing people with high IQ and EQ are good at – active listening. They don’t just listen to hear, they listen to understand.
The gist is, people with high EQs and IQs win at communication because they’re skilled at breaking down complicated concepts and expressing this in a relatable way that makes others feel heard and understood.
9) They are empathetic leaders
What happens if you have a high IQ and high EQ?
You become the leader that everyone hopes for.
Here’s how and why:
Your high IQ makes you adept at three essential skills of a good leader: problem-solving, well-informed decision-making, and strategic planning.
These equip you with the tools to effectively guide your team and achieve your collective goals.
At the same time, your high EQ brings the heart into the equation.
It’s this empathy that makes you connect with your team on a deeper level. This deepens your grasp of each member’s concerns and motivations, empowering you to approach these with genuine compassion and understanding.
Bottom line:
Your high IQ and high EQ set you apart by making you a leader that’s not only smart, but one with a heart.
Final thoughts
Is it rare to have high IQ and EQ?
Rare, yes. But impossible, definitely not.
Our list proves that people with high IQ and EQ are out there.
In fact, you could be one of them – if you really put your mind to it.
While your IQ scores are more challenging to change, your emotional intelligence can definitely be boosted.
It’s not something that’s achieved overnight, but it can happen if you start working on yourself and your character.
As Daniel Goleman aptly puts it, “There is an old-fashioned word for the body of skills that emotional intelligence represents: character.”
