FIVE DAYS WITH SQ21 – THE SPIRITUAL INTELLIGENCE MODEL

One of the necessary conditions for spiritual leadership in our rapidly changing world is Spiritual Intelligence. This post will focus on one model that is very useful, and becoming increasingly essential, in developing spiritual leaders. In future posts, I will address others.

Dorianne and I were  in London for a European SQ21™ Spiritual Intelligence (LINK) event last week – part one was three days of coach’s certification training and part 2 a coaches’ update conference for two days. This gathering was about expanding the SQ21 concepts into Europe in a bigger way. Sixteen new European coaches were certified and 20 coaches attended the update conference. There are now over 300 certified SQ21 Coaches on the planet.

Developed about 15 years ago by Cindy Wigglesworth, former HR Director for Exxon-Mobile Corporation, the SQ21 Model is rapidly gaining acceptance in a variety of sectors around the world. Cindy has been involved in the Unity New Thought community for some time, and her model has been used in that organization as well.

“Spiritual Intelligence is the ability to behave with Wisdom and Compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace (Equanimity) regardless of the situation.” ~ Cindy Wigglesworth

Jim and Cindy Wigglesworth

Both Dorianne and I are certified in the SQ21 Model. We use it in our Ministers’ Coaching Program (LINK) and in other contexts as well. It is one of the most powerful tools to come from someone within the New Thought Movement and it is a great aid to both personal and organizational development. Dorianne is on the faculty for this coaches’ certification program in London, and we are both doing presentations at the coaches’ update conference, mine is on Spiral Dynamics™.

“The bigger the context in which you can see your own life, the more informed your choices and actions are. “ ~ Cindy Wigglesworth

SQ21 builds on the Emotional Intelligence Model (LINK) developed by Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis, as well as the Spiral Dynamics™ and Integral™ Models. Building from and adding to those models, Cindy Wigglesworth has developed a rigorously tested and validated assessment tool that provides developmental information across four quadrants, and a coaching program that enables individuals and groups to grow consciously and coherently in a developmental manner.

SQ21 Quadrants

I have found that SQ21 can be of great value to spiritual leaders in the following ways:

• To assess and create processes for her own personal and spiritual growth.
• To assess the SQ levels of members of a team or organization in order to help them better understand their own spiritual pathway and personal development.
• To develop an understanding of how emotional and spiritual development affects him/her, leadership teams, and those in his/her orbit of acquaintances.
• To develop a basis for consciously and intentionally moving toward developmental growth in a spiritual organization for as many people as want to participate.
• To truly be a catalyst for helping to create a world that works for everyone.

So what is spiritual intelligence?

What the SQ21 Model points toward and attempts to measure is a way of being and acting that integrates the full range of being human. This includes the four intelligences – Physical (PQ), Intellectual (IQ), Emotional (EQ) and Spiritual (SQ).

SQ21 Intelligences Pyramid

Each of these is an essential component in the human journey, and moving toward SQ is something that is becoming increasingly necessary as the world becomes more complex and we are called to rise up developmentally to keep up.

Looking at the spiral, as in Spiral Dynamics™, you might say that IQ peaks as a necessary element in the modernist-Orange stage, where IQ is so valued in logical development, math and the sciences. You might also say that EQ peaks at the postmodern-Green stage, where the emotions come forward in a much more complex way than at earlier stages. And SQ becomes more necessary as one begins the transition into 2^nd Tier stages like integral-Yellow and holistic-Turquoise. Also, EQ and SQ reinforce one another. So in a very real sense, greater complexity and the associated value systems that arise with it, require development into higher intelligences.

Spiral Dynamics Model Illustrated

There are not clear definitive boundaries between these intelligences. Rather, they merge with one another, support one another, and emerge from one another in the developmental process.

Our PQ provides a basic foundation for the other intelligences to blossom. When we are tired or feeling ill, it is very difficult to function intellectually, emotionally or spiritually. Our IQ (not necessarily the score on an IQ test), lets us think, imagine, explore, and generate intention. Our EQ arises from our emotional selves, which can govern our ability to be in the world and with other people. It also creates the dimensions of our inner lives in a dance with IQ – thoughts and feelings, feelings and thoughts. If our EQ is in the lower ranges, we may live in a world of rage and depression, resentment and judgment; when we begin to develop toward a higher range of EQ, we live in a world of love, respect and possibility. That is what sets the stage for SQ to emerge.

SQ includes our worldviews about ourselves, about others, and about reality. It involves the cultivation of our being natures as existing beyond our doing natures – “how am I being with this?” becomes a deep and regular personal question. You can then extend that to something like “How would LOVE be with this?” The spiritual leader can then live more from his or her Higher Self rather than living primarily from the Ego self.

Importantly, beyond worldviews, there are skills which enable us to express our spiritual natures in meaningful ways. The SQ21 Assessment is actually a self-assessment tool to reveal what space a person is inhabiting in his or her developmental pathway. As noted above, SQ is part of a natural progression of the development of intelligences in people. It is reflected in our personal evolutionary process. Our spiritual intelligence reflects our ability to have and to express wisdom, empathy and compassion in our lives. It is reflected in our ability to connect with people in positive and constructive ways.

The skills used in the model are contained in four quadrants:

SQ21 Quadrants and Skills

Each quadrant contains an aspect of SQ and the quadrants build upon one another. The model gives feedback from the online assessment that enable the participant to see where they are on each skill in a developmental sense.

There has been a good bit of talk in New Thought leadership circles about the need to have 2^nd Tier Thinking (see Spiral Dynamics) in our movement, especially among ministers and other leaders. The intelligence models indicate that spiritual intelligence is a necessary aspect for that level of being. The value of the SQ21 Model in this regard is, of course, that it is already packaged and available and there are trained coaches who can help you in this area. There are also elements of the model that require one to encounter and work with the Shadow self. This is another area often spoken of as an essential element needed in New Thought leadership (as well as in spiritual development of all kinds), and both the EQ and SQ models speak to these aspects of development.

Interestingly, almost all of the attendees here in London are planning to use the SQ21 Model and Assessment in the secular world. These consultants are finding a hunger in the business and governmental world for a greater understanding of how our spiritual intelligence affects our abilities to be high-functioning leaders.

There are many elements to spirituality. Spiritual Intelligence is one. The value of the model to leaders in a rapidly changing world includes the ability to identify and to develop practices that will help leaders (and others) to improve their grasp of these important areas of personal growth. Without an awareness of the skills measured in this model, the spiritual leader is often left to flounder in his or her attempts to serve their community. You can’t be effective with dynamics that you do not understand.

So how to I access the SQ21 Model and Assessment?

One way is to buy the SQ21 book (LINK). I recommend this, but ideally, after you have taken the assessment yourself.

Another way is though our Ministerial Coaching Program (LINK). We will be announcing a new series very soon. Or, you can contact me (DrJim-Lockard@att.net) and I can arrange for you to take the assessment and have a personal debriefing session.

Spiritual Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence are cutting-edge concepts in understanding human development in just about every area, including leadership. They provide tools that should be in your leadership tool kit, along with other cultural and psychological evolutionary models.

For the times, they are a-changin’.