There is no doubt that EQ is a desirable and highly adaptive trait, and it is understandable that we generally prefer EQ to be high rather than low. However, obsessing over high EQ will create a workforce of Emotionally stable, Happy, and Diplomatic people who potter along and follow rules enthusiastically instead of driving change and innovation. They will be great followers and good managers, but don’t expect them to be visionary leaders or change agents.

1. Very High EQ and its
Downsides
By Col Mukteshwar Prasad(Retd)
Based on Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Adam Yearsley paper of
January 12, 2017 in HBR

2. Profile of Gemma
 Extremely caring and sensitive.
◦ Pays a great deal of attention to others’ emotions and
 Is kind and considerate.
 Quite optimistic.
◦ Usually upbeat and remains positive even in the face of bad
news.
 Colleagues love working with her because they see her as a
beacon of calm.
 No matter how much stress and pressure there is at work,
Gemma is enthusiastic and never loses her cool.
 Gemma’s manager enjoys dealing with her, as
◦ she rarely complains about anything,
◦ is reliable and dependable, and
◦ shows great levels of organizational citizenship.
 Is extremely trustworthy and ethical.
 Furthermore, Gemma’s personality also means that she is
generally engaged at work, even when her boss is not doing a
great job at managing her.

3. Who wouldn't hire Gemma?
 In many ways, she seems
◦ like the ideal employee,
◦ someone with excellent potential for a career in management.
 If you agree, you are not alone:
◦ Most people would find Gemma’s personality
 a great asset, and not just in a work context.
◦ The main reason for this is Gemma’s high emotional intelligence
(EQ), which explains all of the qualities described above.
 Though definitions vary, EQ always comprises intrapersonal and
interpersonal skills — in particular
◦ High adjustment,
◦ Sociability,
◦ Sensitivity, and
◦ Prudence.
 Thousands of scientific studies have tested the importance of EQ in
various domains of life, providing compelling evidence for the benefits of
higher EQ with regards to
◦ Work,
◦ Health, and
◦ Relationships.

4. Who wouldn't hire Gemma?...
 For example,
◦ EQ is positively correlated with leadership,
◦ Job performance,
◦ Job satisfaction,
◦ Happiness, and
◦ Well-being (both physical and emotional).
 Moreover, EQ is negatively correlated with
◦ Counterproductive work behaviors,
◦ Psychopathy, and
◦ Stress proclivity.

5. Is higher EQ always beneficial?
 Although the downside of higher EQ remains largely unexplored,
there are many reasons for being cautious
◦ About a one-size-fits-all or
◦ Higher-is-always-better take on EQ.
 Most things are
◦ Better in moderation, and
◦ there is a downside to every human trait.

6. Implication of High EQ of Gemma
 Lower levels of creativity and innovation potential.
 There is a negative correlation between EQ and many of the
traits that predispose individuals toward creativity and innovation.
 Creativity has long been associated with attributes that are
characteristic of low EQ:
◦ Artistic moodiness,
◦ Nonconformist,
◦ Hostile impulsivity, and
◦ An excitable (“up-and-down”) personality.
 While it is possible for creative people to be emotionally intelligent,
the more common pattern for people like Gemma is to be great at
following processes,
◦ Building relations, and
◦ Working with others
 But lack the necessary levels of nonconformity and
unconventionality that can drive them
◦ To challenge the status quo and
◦ Replace it with something new.

7. Implication of High EQ of Gemma
 Difficulty giving and receiving negative feedback.
 At first glance, high EQ scorers like Gemma may seem to do well
when it comes to giving and receiving feedback,
◦ for both involve social interaction.
 Scratch under the surface, however, and you will see that
Gemma’s high interpersonal sensitivity and empathic
concern may make it hard for her to deliver critical or
negative feedback to others.
 In addition, high EQ scorers like Gemma can be so highly
adjusted and cool-headed that they may be indifferent to any
negative feedback they receive.
 Indeed, high EQ scores can be hard to shake up, since they
are generally so
◦ calm,
◦ adjusted, and
◦ positive.

8. Implication of High EQ of Gemma
 Reluctance to ruffle people’s feathers.
 One of the main reasons for the appeal of Gemma’s personality is
that it epitomizes many of the qualities we look for in
followers.
 Although people like Gemma are
◦ psychologically well-endowed for entry-level or midlevel
management jobs,
◦ senior leadership roles will require the ability to make
 Unpopular choices often,
 Bring about change, and
 Focus on driving results,
◦ Even at the expense of sacrificing employee relations.
 Furthermore, senior leaders and executives will only have a
substantial impact on their organizations if they can act
entrepreneurially to pursue innovation and growth.
 This requires
◦ Unpopular decisions, and
◦ People like Gemma, who are more focused on getting along than
getting ahead, are less likely to make them.

9. Implication of High EQ of Gemma
 A well-developed ability to manipulate others.
 Gemma’s high EQ may help her empathize and deliver a message
that feels right to the audience — this is often a good thing.
 Taken too far, however, it can slide from influencing others to
engaging in tactics of manipulation.
 The risk of overusing one’s social skills is
◦ In focusing heavily on the emotional aspects of
communication while
◦ Neglecting logical arguments and
◦ The more transactional aspects of communication.
 In that sense, the darker side of EQ is helping people with bad
intentions to be overly persuasive and get their way.
 As with charisma, we tend to regard EQ as a positive trait, but it
can be used to achieve unethical goals as well as ethical
ones.

10. Implication of High EQ of Gemma
 An aversion to risk.
 Most innovative ventures require a balance between risk
taking and risk avoidance.
◦ People like Gemma are much more likely to play it safe and
avoid bold choices.
 This is because high EQ is associated with higher levels of
conscientiousness.
◦ In other words, the higher your EQ, the more likely it is that
you resist your impulses and make measured decisions.
◦ EQ equates with more self-control, yet extreme levels of self-
control will translate into counterproductive perfectionism
and risk avoidance.

11. How do we look at Gemma’s EQ?
 To be clear, Gemma is no doubt a highly desirable employee, but her
extremely high EQ makes her more suited to roles where regulating her
own emotions and being able to sense and adapt to the emotional needs
of others are pivotal.
◦ Salespeople,
◦ Real-estate agents,
◦ Customer support reps,
◦ Counselors, and
◦ Psychologists all benefit from EQ like Gemma’s.
 In contrast, Gemma’s profile may not be advantageous, and may even be
a handicap, in jobs focused on
◦ Creativity,
◦ Innovation,
◦ Leading change, or
◦ Taking risks.
 That is not to say that someone like Gemma couldn’t aspire to a senior
leadership role.
◦ She could, but it would require a fair amount of self-coaching.
◦ For example, she would need to
 start seeking out negative feedback and take it seriously,
 stop being concerned about avoiding confrontation, and
 challenge the status quo (or recruit people who do and pay attention
to them).

12. Conclusion
 There is no doubt that EQ is a desirable and highly adaptive trait,
and it is understandable that we generally prefer EQ to be high
rather than low.
 However, obsessing over high EQ will create a workforce of
◦ Emotionally stable,
◦ Happy, and
◦ Diplomatic people
 who potter along and follow rules enthusiastically instead of
driving change and innovation.
 They will be great followers and good managers, but don’t
expect them to be visionary leaders or change agents.