The Secret of Success
Over the past few weeks, I have been immersed in Daniel Goleman’s classic book Emotional Intelligence . What a powerful read—provocative, practical, and deeply insightful. Even more enriching is the fact that I am reading it together with members of my Book Club, whose membership spans across the African continent. The diverse perspectives we bring to the discussion on Emotional Intelligence make the lessons even more meaningful. One of Goleman’s central arguments is simple yet transformative: success is not determined solely by intelligence quotient (IQ) —the metric many of us grew up believing was the key to achievement. Instead, emotional intelligence (EQ) plays a much larger role. Goleman notes that people with high IQs often end up working for leaders with stronger EQ. This resonates with me, as I recall how often in school we were told that excelling in IQ tests was the golden ticket to success. But is it really? That question brings me to the heart of this reflection. What...