EQ over IQ

(With thanks to TODAY)
'What matters more is the person you are'
PSC chairman Eddie Teo on EQ over IQ
05:55 AM Jul 09, 2010
by Esther Ng estherng@mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Having the right degree helps, but these days, new graduates need other skills and qualities - like EQ - to succeed in the university of life, said Public Service Commission chairman Eddie Teo (picture).
"In other words, what really matters is not how well-educated you are, but what kind of person you are," Mr Teo told the National University of Singapore Business School's first batch of S3 Asia MBA students yesterday.
Noting how the world and Singapore had changed, he said: "The buzz word I grew up with in my public service career - efficiency - has been overtaken by other buzz words."
So, instead of "didactic" advice, he offered the graduates tips that would endure.
Know yourself, he said, and find yourself a "great mentor" - his was the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, Singapore's first Finance Minister. If things aren't right, don't just gripe, do something to improve matters.
Those who become leaders should "appreciate diversity and listen to the ground".
"Difficult people with new ideas may be a pain to manage, but the time spent will be worth it if they truly have something useful and original to contribute," he said.
Leaders should also be aware of both the small and big picture, but not micro-manage or they would "stifle initiative".
In success, bear in mind the support they got from family and colleagues; in failure, "try not to blame everybody else except yourself ", he urged his audience.
Finally, they should not be afraid to be critical and question assumptions. But, "knowing when and how to criticise" is as important as knowing what to criticise, he said. "That is called EQ, and more and more people now believe that EQ and soft skills will get you further in life than IQ."
The 27 students who graduated spent a semester each in Fudan University's School of Management and Korea University Business School, and their final semester here.
They were awarded two full MBA degrees, one from their home university and the other from a partner university.