Thursday, May 7, 2015

Internal Auditors: What is your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?

The importance of soft skills to a successful internal auditor is now an established fact. I  pay a particular attention to this part of requirements when I read job postings. Today, a job posting for a VP Global Audit position  on the IIA website's career section listed the following "other requirements" :

  • Passion and energy for inciting results through others
  • Managerial courage
  • Strong commitment to consumers, colleagues, and business partners
  • Goal-oriented and personally accountable
  • High level of integrity and EQ”
  • Practices open communication and collaboration
  • Influential in selling ideas and programs
  • Resourceful and self-directed
  • Open-minded and curious
  • Flexible and adaptable
  • Proven leadership


  • While I see most of the above requirements in other job posts, I rarely come across Emotional Intelligence (EQ). So, what is EQ ?

    According to Wikipedia :

    "Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior."


    EQ is considered by some to be a characteristic of  a performing leader, while others have criticized it and look at it as a skill rather than a form of intelligence!

    How do you define EQ in internal audit? Is it simply being an "auditor with a heart" who considers other people's feelings and controls his/her own?

    Should EQ be part of the job requirements for Internal Auditors?

    How would having high EQ influence your independence & objectivity?

    Does it enhance your relationship building opportunities? 

    Do you know what is your EQ? If you are interested you can take a test here :

    http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=3037













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