What if the most important skill for thriving in an AI-driven economy isn’t intelligence or emotional awareness—but your ability to handle change itself?
In this interview, I talk with Liz Tran, executive coach and author of “AQ”, about a revolutionary framework for understanding how we navigate uncertainty.
Liz introduces the concept of AQ (Agility Quotient) a form of intelligence that measures your capacity to handle change, disappointment, and uncertainty. As AI commoditizes traditional cognitive abilities, AQ is becoming the key differentiator in career success and personal fulfillment.
We explore Liz’s four archetypes for handling change, dive into the TRAC framework for building agility, and discuss why comfort with discomfort might be the most valuable skill you can develop.
Whether you’re navigating a career transition, building a business, or simply trying to stay sane in an increasingly chaotic world, this conversation offers practical strategies for thriving through change.
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Key Takeaways
AQ (Agility Quotient) is your capacity to handle change, disappointment, and uncertainty, and in an AI-driven world where cognitive abilities are becoming commoditized, AQ is now more important than IQ or EQ for predicting success.
AI has made high IQ “cheap and common” by scoring in the 99th percentile on tests like the LSAT and MCAT, meaning your ability to quickly learn, unlearn, and adapt (your AQ) is now your primary competitive advantage.
The TRAC framework for building AQ includes: Trying (comfort with discomfort through micro-challenges), Reframing (shifting perspective on setbacks), Anchors (people, places, and routines that ground you), and Connections (building diverse relationships).
Durable skills, like adaptability, communication, emotional regulation, and complex problem-solving, can’t be automated by AI and become more valuable over time, unlike technical skills that quickly become obsolete.
Unlike IQ which remains fixed throughout life, AQ is flexible and trainable, you can go from low AQ to high AQ through intentional practice, making it never too late to develop agility regardless of age.
Resources
Liz Tran’s Book – AQ: A New Kind of Intelligence for a World That’s Always Changing
Liz Tran’s Website
Chapters
Note: Timestamps are approximate and may vary across listening platforms due to dynamically inserted ads.
(0:00) Introduction
(2:59) What is AQ (Agility Quotient)?
(6:35) Why AI makes IQ cheap and AQ valuable
(11:03) Durable skills vs. technical skills
(17:56) The four change archetypes: Neurosurgeon, Astronaut, Firefighter, Architect
(25:51) The TRAC framework for building agility
(29:06) T: Trying (building comfort with discomfort)
(30:49) A: Anchors (people, places, and routines that ground you)
(44:51) C: Connections (building diverse relationships)
(56:19) Why AQ is flexible and trainable at any age
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