LQ Greater Than EQ or IQ?

So many Qs (and this is not even the full list!)

So, take a guess – LQ is what? Laughability Quotient. Nah…but any great leader does need a decent sense of humor.

OK, be serious Kate. It’s your Learnability Quotient. It’s your willingness and ability to adapt to change, to quickly grow and adapt one’s skill sets, it’s your agility. 

Learning is a skill. The ease with which you learn is essentially your Learnability Quotient.

Mark Cuban shared “I learned that learning truly is a skill ... and that by continuing to learn to this day, I can compete and get ahead of most people, …”

Why Now?

Hell Covid. Hello technology – AI, Automation, VR, machine learning. The speed of change in business means constantly adapting.

Hello racial equity. What do your customers and employees care about? Both expect more. The range of environmental and social issues on the table and the urgency around them is constantly increasing.

It’s a VUCA world An acronym describing the business climate today – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. Sounds about right.  Those with a high LQ respond best in these environments.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler, Future Shock (1970)

 Curiosity Killed the Competition

Learning starts with asking questions. Leaders with a high LQ are openminded and know they don’t have all the answers. Probably because they appreciate there are always new questions you should be asking.

One study found that those with a lack of LQ, those who were not open to new ways of thinking had a skewed perception of reality. Further, they had delusional attitudes based on that “know it all” mindset that perpetuated those inaccurate perceptions.

Having a high LQ means approaching new challenges and ever-unfolding business environments through a new lens. Achieving that new perspective means embracing feedback from your team, mentors, and advisors.

To learn is to listen.

It is seeking to understand and draw conclusions from mistakes or failures.

Leaders with a high LQ understand the value to changing one’s thinking, practices, and feelings. They let go of potential bias and seek out new ideas, opinions, and perspectives. For example, prior to COVID many leaders believed that remote working would result is lower productivity. When forced to adapt many learned that the results were quite the opposite.

Through the Looking Glass

To learn is to observe. Take the time to observe what is happening around you. Being an effective leader means keeping an eye on the broader horizon, so you can sense and anticipate changes. It’s the ability to pivot or course correct on the fly (ish).  To see macro shifts, industry trends, changes in consumer behavior, new competitors, opportunities in emerging markets, etc.

Don’t be nearsighted. You need to look beyond, beneath, and around what you are seeing and what you seek. Meaning if your thinking is too narrow, you see what you want to see.

Those with a high LQ, are able to make new connections between the information available and find new solutions, strategies, and opportunities.

In the face of rapid, constant change they have a sense of calm that allows them to process and achieve a heightened perception.

The Lesson for Founders & CEOs

Those with a low LQ underestimate major obstacles and the difficulty of transitions and stubbornly rely on what has worked for them in the past.

Yet any successful transition requires different skills than what got you there. Getting to the next level means learning.

One study found that CEOs and their businesses are derailed by 4 transitions: creating new ventures, dealing with innovation and change, mergers and acquisitions, and new competition.

Ding, ding, ding – new ventures, competition, innovation - that is what being a founder is all about. I would add to that list the transition from founder to CEO. This is where many of my clients are stuck. As you scale, you must step into your power as CEO which is a much bigger role. It requires a different set of skills. A growth mindset and a desire to learn.