And so it begins!  Another new year is upon us, and we here at AAWOL are ready to embark on reflections and stories on new themes for the coming year.

To kick off 2017, Young Lee Hertig — founder of AAWOL in 2004 — suggested that we reflect on the five dimensions of Daniel Goleman’s EQ (emotional quotient), mainly: 1) Self-Awareness, 2) Self-Regulation, 3) Inner Motivation, 4) Empathy, 5) Social Relationship.

Since I myself only had a vague understanding of the concept of EQ, I asked Young to explain a bit more about her choice of themes.

Why do you feel it would be good for AAWOL women to reflect on EQ?

Young: The lack of EQ among leaders is one of the major causes of divisions within all communities including the church, yet seminaries do not teach EQ and consequently, local churches do not either.  Too many church splits happen unnecessarily because pastors and lay leaders are not equipped to handle conflict and end up amplifying it rather than mediating it wisely.  

How do you think EQ relates to Asian American women leaders in particular, in regards either to what they can uniquely contribute in their settings, or what they must gain to be fully equipped as they are positioned in ministry/church/etc?

Young: Daniel Goleman researched the top 1% of CEOs — like Steve Jobs, who are extraordinary leaders — and found that they all had an extra gift in addition to IQ — that is, they all had high EQ. 

I’m excited to see how our reflections on EQ, drawing from our unique experiences, challenges and perspectives as Asian American women leaders, will serve to strengthen and encourage us in the coming months. And thus, here we embark on our theme for the month of January: Self-Awareness.

May we be blessed and encouraged as we walk this road together!

Joy Wong is the editor and administrator for aawolsisters.com and a contributing author to Mirrored Reflections: Reframing Biblical Characters, published in September 2010.  She has an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary, a BA in English from Princeton University, as well as managerial experience in industrial distribution.  Joy and her family attend Northland Village Church