IQ and EQ have been part of the nomenclature for aeons now. And EQ over the past few decades have won pride of place in our scheme of things and is considered the bedrock for sound and progressive leadership. That said, the Covid-19 threw up a new necessity since a lot of organisations and individuals were caught like a deer in the headlights. And that was the crying need for adaptability. AQ(Adaptability Quotient) is certainly the new kid on the block.
Kids have the greatest sense of agility and adaptability. They can go from petulant and sad to happy and effervescent and switch contexts in an instant. As we grow older(and mature?), adults struggle with this. As we grow older, our ability to reconcile and thrive in a new situation or context diminishes. The law of diminishing marginal returns begin to apply. That is because we have not made such effort to change the default. The good thing is that with deliberate practice, we can change the muscle memory setting and enhance our adaptability quotient.
The same applies to organisations too. In an always on, dynamic and unpredictable zeitgeist, where the next new normal is being continuously disrupted, organisations that have agility and adpatability as its prized assets, are the ones likely to survive and thrive.
