Step aside, emotional intelligence. There's a new way to measure success: personal intelligence. Motivational coaches refer to it as PI, and for some time now, it has been regarded as an important foundation for nearly every aspect of life, from work to relationships.
American developmental psychologist Howard Gardner defined two types of personal intelligence. The first, intrapersonal intelligence, has to do with the relationship with the self. It is about understanding one's own complex feelings and thoughts, and knowing how to make sense of them as a precursor to one's behaviour. The second, interpersonal intelligence, has to do with one's relationship with others, and the ability to know and communicate with others appropriately in accordance with their moods, temperaments, motivation and intentions.
Winnie Chiu, a registered counsellor and life coach, says that having a high PI not only helps you live a more successful life, it also enables more harmonious connections with others. The higher your PI level, the fewer problems you are likely to have in all your relationships and the less difficulty you will have connecting with others and communicating effectively.
"When you are aware of your feelings, motivations, strengths and weaknesses, it is also likely that you would be committed to personal growth and be interested in fulfilling your purpose in life," Chiu explains. "And if you know how to relate to others and can detect their emotions, intentions and desires, it shows that you are good at verbal and non-verbal communication as well as conflict resolution."
Hong Kong-based career and executive coach Angela Spaxman specialises in the area of leadership development. She says that it is well known and true that, as people rise to higher levels of leadership, their interpersonal skills become more important to their success, while the importance of their technical skills declines. This means that if people wish to be promoted and succeed as managers and leaders, they should learn how to develop their PI.
"Very high levels of PI are essential for the highest levels of leadership success. It is only now that we are learning the connection between very deep intrapersonal abilities and excellence in leadership," Spaxman says.
Like our temperament, PI is something we are all born with. According to Gardner, PI is affected by several factors - culture, the influences of our caregivers, and our experiences during our formative years.