Updated: May 18th, 2021
Whether at home, or at work, different situations call on us to respond using emotional intelligence and agility. The COVID-19 environment we’re in now certainly accentuates that need.
But sometimes we reach for our same old responses out of habit, even when the situation is begging us to rethink our approach. This type of reaction leaves people resistant and unprepared to solve dynamic and diverse challenges – whether at home or at work.
There’s a growing recognition of the value of emotional intelligence in the workplace. The Wiley company conducted a survey about the need for emotional agility and discovered it’s more important than ever:
- 95% of respondents said EQ is at least as important at work as IQ—if not more so.
- 86% of managers, directors, and executives said EQ is a bigger factor in organizational success than it was five years ago.
- Managers spend significantly more time on interpersonal issues, where higher EQ would be helpful, than on either the quality or quantity of work their employees do.

The survey indicated EQ not only hits the bottom line, it also shapes the employee experience and organizational culture.
- 80% have worked on a team where low EQ hurt productivity.
- 80% have seen low EQ create a toxic culture.
- More than 40% quit a job after working with people with a low EQ.
Clearly this is affecting all of us who work in organizations.

Can you increase emotional intelligence and agility in your organization?
As this article explains, “an organization is agile only when its workforce is agile. Not only leaders and top managers need to exhibit agility, but also the employees at all levels of hierarchy.”
So, it starts with individual employees. Maybe it starts with you.
You may be wondering if it’s even possible. Is a person’s EQ fixed or is it changeable?
Well, here’s the good news…
You can increase EQ agility
EQ experts maintain that everyone—everyone―can grow their competency and can develop the social and emotional skills crucial to an agile workplace.
That’s good news for your career. In fact, EQ is a better predictor of success than either IQ or an impressive resume.
We can empower ourselves to become more effective and better equipped to meet the demands of today’s changing workplace by increasing our agile EQ. The term “agile EQ” refers to how effectively and efficiently you can adapt to a social or emotional situation to solve the problem at hand— because an approach that works well in one situation won’t always work in the next.
Here’s a quick video to help you consider your own style of responding to situations. Take a look and give some thought to what your strengths are. Do you see yourself in the examples? And what are the ways you could stretch a little, and learn to use different responses that would be more effective in a tense situation?
The Everything DiSC Agile EQ model is arranged into eight mindsets.
We all have mindsets that come naturally to us, to the point where they tend to be automatic. Other mindsets tend to be less comfortable, and, as a result, we might not always recognize when a situation calls for them.
Which of these are your natural responses? And which ones are really challenging for you?

Dynamic
Initiating action on your ideas, influencing people, and projecting a strong social presence.
Outgoing
Establishing and maintaining relationships and expressing your emotions and unfiltered thoughts to others.
Empathizing
Reaching out with compassion, seeking to understand people’s emotional needs and struggles, and being supportive.
Receptive
Staying open to others’ ideas and being willing to compromise or set aside your own needs and preferences
Composed
Reflecting before acting, moderating your responses even under stress, and exercising diplomacy.
Objective
Separating facts from emotion and keeping the discussion focused on logic.
Resolute
Standing your ground in the face of opposition, speaking up about problems, and pushing through any resistance
Self-Assured
Asserting your opinions and rights, projecting confidence in your ideas and abilities, and taking charge of situations.
An emotionally intelligent person recognizes what mindsets are most appropriate for the situation and then stretches to use those mindsets – regardless of how comfortable they may be.

Your ability to stretch is the key to success
There’s a wide range of responses ingrained in us for handling socially and emotionally charged situations. The challenge is to learn to reach for the ones that might be uncomfortable, yet better suited for the unique challenges we’re facing.
Many EQ assessments provide diagnostic information. It’s interesting, but not always helpful.
The Agile EQ assessment is different because it’s a tool for development. It doesn’t just make a proclamation about who or how you are, but points you to new mindsets and actions you can take to become more emotionally nimble and adaptive.
With practice, persistence, and the right resources, agility can be developed by anyone.
And right now, I think we could all use a little emotional intelligence development and flexibility, don’t you?
If you’d like to learn more, I invite you to take this quiz, What’s Your EQ Score?
In just three minutes, this ten question quiz will help you identify whether your EQ is high, average or low.
This quiz is for anyone who is:
- Eyeing a promotion
- Wishing they had more influence on others
- Wants less stress at work and in personal relationships
Ready to discover the next steps to boost your EQ and career? Take the quiz here.
