Leadership Skills Nobody Teaches: Wisdom & Compassion

Guest: Cindy Wigglesworth

 

Can leaders continue to grow after mastering emotional intelligence?

For years, leadership development has emphasized IQ and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as essential capabilities. But there is another dimension that separates good leaders from truly exceptional ones.

In this episode, Maureen Metcalf welcomes Cindy Wigglesworth, founder of Deep Change and creator of the groundbreaking SQ21® Spiritual Intelligence assessment, to explore how leaders can cultivate greater wisdom, compassion, and self-awareness without sacrificing practical business results.

Rather than discussing spirituality as religion or philosophy, Cindy presents Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) as a measurable, learnable set of leadership skills that help people move beyond reactive decision-making toward wiser, more thoughtful leadership.

Together, they explore:

• Why IQ and EQ alone are no longer enough for today's leaders
• The four intelligences that support effective leadership
• How Spiritual Intelligence helps leaders move beyond ego and emotional triggers
• Why wisdom and compassion are practical leadership competencies
• The relationship between adult development, leadership maturity, and SQ
• The SOUL framework for making better decisions under pressure.

Whether you lead an organization, a team, or simply want to become a wiser version of yourself, this conversation offers practical insights for navigating today's increasingly complex world.

 

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- How Inner Work Transforms Your Leadership: Tools for Growth with Jonathan Reams

- Leading from Within - A Former Navy SEAL on Transforming Yourself to Lead Others with Diego Ugalde

- Working & Living in Joy with Pamela Larde

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:  

Cindy’s groundbreaking book is SQ21: The Twnety-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence. It’s available in paperback at https://amzn.to/4yLi3hW. The audiobook version is at https://amzn.to/3Tgqphw.

 

You can also learn more at her website: https://deepchange.com/.

 

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 

 

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

 

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US: 

YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 

Instagram: @innovativeleader 

 

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About Our Guest:  

Cindy Wigglesworth, MA, is the Founder and President of Deep Change, Inc. and a recognized pioneer in the field of Spiritual Intelligence (SQ). She developed the SQ21® Spiritual Intelligence Assessment, a research-based, skills-focused framework that helps individuals and organizations cultivate greater wisdom, compassion, and leadership effectiveness. Her practical, faith-neutral approach has made Spiritual Intelligence accessible for executive leadership development, organizational transformation, diversity initiatives, and personal growth.

 

Cindy created SQ21® in collaboration with researchers and psychometric experts to provide a measurable pathway for developing Spiritual Intelligence. She is the author of the bestselling SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence and co-author (as Cynthia S. Graves) of Grown-Up Children Who Won't Grow Up.