Do You Want to Know Jack Ma's Secret to Success? Hint - It isn't IQ or EQ.

By Komal Nathani

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

You're reading BIZ Experiences India, an international franchise of BIZ Experiences Media.

Twitter

The man who grew up poor, failed twice in the university exams and was turned away from a dozen of jobs, founded a company in his house apartment is today the owner of a $200 billion company. Yes, we are talking about the founder and CEO of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Jack Ma, who recently shared his success recipe at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In an interview at Davos, the self-made one of the richest man in the world, Ma differentiated the importance held by IQ, EQ and LQ in the success of his company.

His Success Recipe - LQ beats the IQ & EQ Debate

Talking about what it takes to succeed despite long odds, Ma explained while it takes IQ for sure, EQ plays an important role in getting ahead. But the other valuable quality which others end up missing is LQ. Here's how he explained what's LQ.

At the Forum, he said, "I believe if a person wants to be successful, they should have a high EQ. But if you don't want to lose quickly, they should have a high IQ. But if you want to be respected, you should have a high LQ – the Q of Love."

Importance of Human Resource Over Machines

Terming LQ as the secret weapon to beat machines, Ma explained how machines can never have the quotient of love, which we humans only have. He said, "A machine does not have a heart, it does not have soul, and it does not have a belief. Emphasizing that only human beings have soul, have belief, have value; we are creative, we are showing that we can control the machines, he insisted to understand the importance of human resource.

So, Who Does the Perfect Balancing Act?

Sharing a story of a journalist visiting his office and asking about how the proportion of women employees beats the men's in his company, he marked that women do the perfect balancing act when it comes to the success of the company.

"So those three Qs put together - a lot of men have a high IQ and low EQ and very tiny LQ. Women, balance-wise, are the best. If you want your company to be successful, if you want your company to operate with wisdom and with care, women are the best," said Ma.

Komal Nathani

Former Correspondent, BIZ Experiences Asia Pacific

A firm believer of hard work and patience. Love to cover stories that hold a potential to change the momentum of business world. Currently, a part of all-women web team of BIZ Experiences’s Asia Pacific edition to jig the wheel of business journalism!

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Starting a Business

How to Develop the Mindset for a Billion-Dollar Success, According to Raising Cane's Founder

Todd Graves was turned down by every bank in town when he started. Here, he sits down to share his mentality on success, leadership and building a billion-dollar brand.

News and Trends

Reliance Retail Launches FMCG Brand 'Independence' In Gujarat

Independence includes diverse categories such as staples, processed foods, beverages, among other daily essentials

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.