Let’s explore! Essentially, our AQ is the conceptual measure of the depth and breadth of our Awareness. Our AQ could be inferred through…

1. The depth and breadth of our perception and experience of our internal environment… our own mind, body, and emotions in action… as well as that of others. Our ability to see our thoughts, words, emotions, and actions as they emerge, and to perceive where they come from as well as their impacts.
2. The depth and breadth of our perception and experience of our external environment. Our ability to perceive and understand the elements of our surroundings.
3. The depth and breadth of our perception and experience with the integration of our internal and external environments. Our ability to perceive and experience the connection between our internal body, mind, and emotions… and the elements of our surroundings (people and our creations, nature, social constructs, etc.).
4. The depth and breadth of our perception and experience of the deeper purpose of life. Our understanding and connection with the fundamental source of our being and doing.

These are some of the key elements of our AQ, but there is always more. Our AQ represents all that we as an individual have access to within the entire field of human consciousness. It is the sum total of all of our perceptions and experiences, as well as and importantly, the meaning that we assign to these.

It should not be that hard for us to imagine how important our AQ is to our experience in life. It is our AQ that informs our understanding and drives our meaning-making. It should also not be difficult for us to understand how our AQ influences our IQ and EQ. As our IQ and our EQ are part of the direct effect of our AQ.
I am not aware of any present formal tests or measures for our AQ or even if it is being researched. Rest assured, however, that at some point someone will put some kind of battery of tests together to attempt to quantify this. And that is all well and good but remember… before there were formal measures of our intelligence (IQ), there were intelligent people, applying their intelligence in a myriad of ways. And before there were accepted measures of our EQ, there were people who were in touch with their own emotional states, who had the ability to empathize with others and productively manage through our emotional landscape.

And so it is with our AQ. We need not wait for researchers to tell us what the value and importance of our Awareness Quotient are, along with what it means to us. We can place our attention and focus on this concept in the here and now. We can work both, directly and indirectly, to expand and enhance our AQ in real-time.

We can work directly with our AQ by accessing and expanding our Awareness of our Awareness. Yes! We can use our Awareness to step into the current makeup or contents of our present Awareness. Common methods include some form of the meditative process whereby we quiet the mind or look directly at its comings and goings. Over time, these approaches tend to expand and bring further insight and perspective to our experience in life.

We can also work more indirectly with our Awareness to improve our AQ by engaging with the associated elements of our Attention and Focus. By placing our Attention on the people and things that our in alignment with our deeper purpose in life, we tend to grow in our understanding and ability to express these same things. By thoughtfully choosing and reading books or articles or watching movies that expand and push our current understanding of a particular concept we can grow our AQ. By more purposefully associating or hanging out with other inspiring people and groups we can also support the expansion of our AQ.

Through the use of our Focus on both the broad and discreet elements within our Attention, we can further refine our AQ at deeper levels. By focusing, or using the lens of our perception to examine the broad elements or themes of an experience, we can gain even further valuable insights that inform our experience. We can also use our focus, our lens, to dial down to the discreet details of an experience, where we can uncover additional aspects of life that also contribute to the growth of our AQ… which in turn further informs our IQ and EQ. Make sense?

And none of this is that complex or hard to do. All it takes is our consistent, purposeful effort. The interesting thing is that we are doing these kinds of things all the time. We are already reading books and watching movies and listening to music and podcasts; we are already hanging out with certain people and associating with specific groups. But the question is, how much Awareness, Attention, and Focus are we bringing to these choices and these activities? And are these choices in alignment with the deeper purpose of our lives? What is our opportunity here? Our AQ is the key lever for a more expanded experience in life. Our AQ is the foundation of our growth as an individual and as a leader in our organizations and workplaces. It all starts and ends with our Awareness… and our AQ is the key determiner of our experience with everything in between.

By expanding and exercising our AQ in the direction of our life and our leadership, we position ourselves to access, understand, and impact this experience too much greater degrees of effectiveness and gracefulness. Working and living from our AQ can become the foundational driver of all of our thoughts, words, and actions… just like our IQ or our EQ once were. The results of coming from this deeper dimension of our being and doing can be significant. And all we need do is to thoughtfully and courageously step into this exploration, and then go on and learn and grow from there. This is The Leadership Revolution that I am talking about!
In Service,
Brian

What do you think? Please share a comment or question that further explores this topic.