Adversity Quotient-Book Summary

Summary of the book "Adversity Quotient" by Paul G. Stoltz. First published in 1997. Find out how you can overcome obstacles in your life and turn them into opportunities.

1. Adversity
Quotient
Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities

2. Paul G. Stoltz, Ph.D.
•Founder and CEO, PEAK Learning, Inc.
•PhD from University of Minnesota-Twin
Cities
•Founded PEAK Learning in 1987
•Wrote “Adversity Quotient” in 1997
•Other books:
•Adversity Quotient at Work (2000)
•The Adversity Advantage (2007)
•Put Your Mindset To Work (2011) –Co-
Author
•Grit (2015)

3. Adversity
Quotient
Is a Score that
measure the ability
of a person to deal
with adversities in life
Also known as
‘science of resilience’

4. Quitters
Campers
Climbers

5. Variety of
Adversities
Congenital (something
that we are born with)
•Disabilities, intelligence
Environmental
•Upbringing, association
Situational
•Economic, trends, work
challenges

6. AQ, IQ and EQ
Intelligence Quotient
A total score derived from
several standardized tests
designed to assess human
intelligence
Emotional Quotient
Capability of individuals to
recognize their own emotion
and those of others … and
adjust emotions to adapt to
environment or achieve
goals
Adversity Quotient
Is a Score that measure the
ability of a person to deal
with adversities in life

7. Global Predictor of Success
AQ
EQ IQ
When there is little or no advantage in EQ and/or
IQ, AQ is the determining factor that drives success.

8. People with High AQ
Albert Einstein
was thought to
be of low
intelligence by
his teachers
Thomas Edison
must deal with
thousands of
failures before
coming up with
a successful
invention
Richard Branson
suffers from
dyslexia and
dropedout from
school
Bill Gates
failed in his
earlier business
ventures
before he co-
founded
Microsoft

9. Building
Blocks of AQ
Cognitive Psychology (Study of Mental
Processes)
•Learned Helplessness
•Optimism vs Pessimism
•Hardiness
•Mastery of Life
Psychoneuroimmunology
•Direct relationship between thinking and health
Neurophysiology (Science of the Brain)
•How habits are formed in the brain

10. 4 Dimensions of AQ
Control
The extent to
which someone
perceives they
can influence
whatever
happens next
Ownership
The likelihood
that someone
will actually do
anything to
improve the
situation,
regardless of
their formal
responsibilities
Reach
The extent to
which someone
perceives an
adversity will
“reach into”
and affect other
aspects of the
situation or
beyond
Endurance
The length of
time the
individual
perceives the
situation /
adversity will
last, or endure

11. Increase
AQ with
LEAD
Sequence
•L = Listen to your
response to Adversity
•E = Explore all origins
and ownership of the
result
•A = Analyze the
Evidence
•D = Do Something!

12. Listen to
your
Adversity
Response
Was it high or low
on AQ response?
On which
dimension was it
highest or lowest?

13. Explore all
Origins and
Your
Ownership
of the
Result
•What are the possible
origins of this adversity?
•Given the origins, what part
is my fault?
•What specifically could I
have done better?
Origins
•What aspects of the result
should I own?
•Which I shouldn’t own?
Ownership

14. Analyze
the
Evidence
What evidence is there that
I have no control?
What evidence is there that
the adversity has reached
to other areas of my life?
What evidence is there that
the adversity must last any
longer than necessary?

15. Do
Something!
What additional information do I
need?
What could I do to gain even a
little control over this situation?
What could I do to limit the reach
of this adversity?
What could I do to limit how long
the adversity endures in its current
state?

16. Summary
•AQ = Predictor of one’s ability to
overcome adversity
•AQ, IQ and EQ are needed for success
•AQ has 4 dimensions
•Control, Ownership, Reach,
Endurance
•Increase AQ with LEAD
•Listen to your response to adversity
•Explore all origins and ownership
•Analyze the Evidence
•Do Something

17. Copyright
Notes
•Summary made by
Stephen Siregar
•All rights to content belong to Paul G.
Stoltz, Ph.D.
•Summary author makes no claim of the
content in this material