Ashish KothariMake flourishing your competitive edge

What is People Quotient PQ and Why It Matters for Companies

1 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment, Ashish Kothari introduces People Quotient (PQ) as an organizational attribute that, unlike innate emotional intelligence (EQ) or intellectual intelligence (IQ), can be deliberately invested in and developed. He explains that high‑performing companies distinguished themselves by three core factors: strong leadership, effective organizational design, and the alignment of people to the right roles. Beyond design, he emphasizes that ensuring employees are properly incentivized and equipped—with the right infrastructure, systems, and tools—enables them to operate at their best. PQ, therefore, is presented as a measurable, investable capability that drives superior company performance.

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companies have PQ. And so the difference is that EQ and IQ are innate abilities, whereas PQ is something you can invest in. What is PQ? When I think about PQ, what I— the way I came up with PQ was, what was outstanding about this group of companies and what was sort of missing from the rest that didn't perform as well? And, and 3 things stood out, uh, you know, it was their leadership team, the way they were structured, So organizational design, but it wasn't just about design. Are the people in the right roles? Are they being incentivized? Are they being enabled to be the best selves of themselves throughout the organization? And not just through incentives, but also through infrastructure and systems and tools.