Unlock a balanced, adaptable approach to leadership

Are you a senior leader seeking meaningful, transformational growth in your leadership?

  • Do your leadership skills measure up to today’s intricate business challenges?
  • Are your teams thriving – or faltering – under your guidance?
  • Which leadership strengths do you lean on daily – and where could you grow?
  • Are you open to understanding your unique leadership profile and transforming the way you lead?
Read on to learn how the 5Qs Framework can unleash the full force of your leadership potential.

Let's start with an example scenario

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It was 09:00 on a Monday morning. You felt prepared and confident, after spending weeks crafting a strategy session for your team of eight to boost performance. The meeting plan was well-structured: an engaging opener, a polished PowerPoint with clear visuals and insightful graphs, some light-hearted humour and interactive elements to maintain focus and foster participation.
However, as the meeting progressed, unexpected challenges surfaced.

By 09:40, budget concerns and cross-departmental differences had begun to shift the tone, moving the conversation away from collaboration toward a more guarded dynamic. A few team members appeared distracted, and the initial momentum had begun to wane, diverging from your intended direction.

Rather than the alignment you’d envisioned, the session felt more restrained. What should have driven the team forward instead had created tension, leaving you frustrated and wondering where things – where YOU – had gone wrong.

Does this sound familiar? 

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Regardless of whether you’re operating in boardrooms or one-on-one settings, the pressures of leading can feel overwhelming. Leadership often brings the significant challenge of consistently managing the responsibility to:
  • make important decisions
  • manage conflicts
  • think strategically
  • inspire others

All too often, the skills that drive us to higher leadership positions – communication, strategic thinking, problem-solving, delegation – begin to be tested in ways we never anticipated. And success isn’t always that simple to achieve.

But what if you could combine all of your strengths into a unified, strategic approach?

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Welcome to the 5Qs: Leadership Intelligence for a World in Constant Flux

Overview of The 5Qs Framework

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We’ve developed a powerful leadership framework rooted in over 10 years of research. We now know that transformational leadership requires a multi-nodal approach, which is why our 5Qs framework incorporates five critical types of leadership intelligence: Cognitive (IQ), Emotional (EQ), Political (PQ), Resilience (RQ), and Moral (MQ).

Like a conductor leading an orchestra, each “intelligence” plays a unique role in creating harmony and balance in leadership. Just as the musician balances and directs each instrument, the 5Qs framework helps leaders balance and apply each type of intelligence as situations demand – a decrescendo to make that melodic violin solo extra emotive (IQ); a little louder on the timpani for reassuring rhythm, stability and drive (RQ).

As we’ll discover, effective leaders draw upon each and every “Q” depending on their unique set of challenges. Crucially, they adapt their approach as situations unravel.

Cognitive Intelligence (IQ)   

The backbone of strategic thinking, cognitive intelligence helps leaders absorb information and make compelling arguments.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)   

EQ is key for understanding and managing emotions and forging strong human relationships.

Political Intelligence (PQ)   

PQ allows leaders to manage complex stakeholder dynamics and secure buy-in across the organisation; a fundamental skill at higher managerial levels.

Resilience Quotient (RQ)   

RQ is about enduring pressure and setbacks without losing focus, consistently performing and motivating others – even under duress.

Moral Intelligence (MQ)   

MQ grounds leadership in ethical principles, guiding decisions aligned with personal and organisational values.

These five intelligences work together – each as important as its four co-stars in the ebb and flow of business life – empowering leaders to respond dynamically to challenges. When a leader understands how to draw on each intelligence, they can face challenges and complexities with confidence and clarity, achieving a harmony akin to that delightful piano concerto in C major.

Leadership development

What Can the 5Qs Framework Offer Me?

01

Measure

The 5Qs Pulse is a powerful leadership assessment tool that gives you a clear picture of how you currently apply each of the five intelligences. Take the assessment as an individual and use the results to gain immediate insights into your unique leadership profile, and areas for growth.

02

Learn

Each leader has a distinct balance of strengths across the five Qs. The Pulse helps you understand which areas you naturally excel in – and which may need focused development. This enables you to choose the right courses to learn from so that you can further expand on your strengths and develop your weaknesses.


03

Develop

After completing the 5Qs Pulse, you’ll receive a tailored personal leadership development plan that acts as a roadmap for refining each of the Qs. Perhaps you need to develop your resilience in high-pressure situations, or maybe your team members would feel more supported if you took a more empatethic approach. Every leader is different, but the 5Q framework covers every type of human.

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The 5Qs Framework is a powerful leadership development tool created from over 10 years of research carried out by experts with data gathered from resarch contributors in both the private and public sectors. It assesses all five key intelligences and provides leaders with a multi-nodal profile, guiding growth aligned with personal and organisational values.

Take the First Step with the 5Qs Pulse

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The 5Qs Pulse is your all-important first step in crafting a personalised, data-driven leadership development plan to carry you successfully through a rich and rewarding career. With these insights, you’ll gain the confidence to lead effectively – and as your responsibilities grow, you’ll find you’ll need to draw upon different Qs.


Effective leadership is so much more than “being the boss” and making tricky decisions. To create lasting value and truly thrive in your career, you need to continually inspire, adapt and evolve to developing situations and fresh challenges. The 5Qs provides a strategic roadmap with the power to transform your leadership journey, equipping you with purpose and vision.


Join us and discover the difference the 5Qs framework can make in your leadership, both now and in the years and decades to come.

5Qs Leaders

High-Quality Videos
5Qs spider chart

Years of Research

Research Contributors

Benefits of Our Programmes

If you’re keen to develop your intelligence in any – or all – of the five areas, access our suite of courses and workshops designed to turn insights into actionable skills you’ll draw upon time and again.

One-Day Workshops

Immersive sessions focusing on integrating the 5Qs into daily leadership, providing practical tools to apply each intelligence in real-world scenarios.
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Online Courses for Each Q

For leaders looking to focus on a particular intelligence, our targeted courses provide deep dives into Cognitive, Emotional, Political, Resilience and Moral quotients.
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5Qs Pulse as a Leadership Development Tool

Take the 5Qs Pulse assessment to track your growth so your leadership approach is continually aligned with changing professional demands.
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5Qs Leadership Intelligence: Learning to Lead with Intellect, Resilience, Compassion, and Purpose

It breaks new ground in the exploration, understanding and analysis of what it takes to thrive and survive as a leader.
aaron porter, associate director, advance he
An important insight into the breadth of psychological attributes needed by successful organisational leaders; it will help both existing and aspirational leaders better understand and learn from their successes as well as their failures.
charles elwin, former ceo, institute of leadership and management (ILM)
In every aspect of today's world, whether it is politics, business or society in general, there is an obvious and enormous need for much better leadership. This is a must-read for those who want to develop their ability to become an outstanding leader.
gerry brown, chairman, novaquest capital management
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