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AQ: A New Kind of Intelligence for a World That's Always Changing
You’ve heard of IQ and EQ. But in today’s world, they’re no longer enough. We need the Agility Quotient (AQ).
“Holistic, practical, and easy to digest (without feeling corporate). If you’re looking for a quick, yet addictive read about how to manage uncertainty, this is one of those books that will make you feel a little more steady.”—theSkimm
In a time defined by nonstop disruptions, when jobs vanish overnight, industries evolve in months, and yesterday’s rules no longer apply, AQ—the Agility Quotient—is the intelligence you need to handle change, uncertainty, and the unknown. The good news is that, with the right toolkit, you can grow your agility and learn to navigate a world of increasing instability.
Drawing on leadership coach and former venture capitalist Liz Tran’s work with over 200 successful founders, executives, and dozens of companies and organizations, AQ reveals a model for how high-performing teams and managers adapt to uncertainty. Tran will show you how to cultivate “durable skills,” essential human abilities that remain valuable no matter what the future holds. With the book’s Agility Archetype assessment, the book personalizes the AQ journey to every kind of individual. No matter their experience level or ambitions.
Written with conversational flair and practical advice, AQ offers readers a wealth of resources,
• Tools to rebuild confidence for when you’re bombarded by life's curveballs or feeling burned out Actionable steps for making a big shift, even when you feel stuck.
• Advice on finding clarity in moments of professional turbulence.
AQ also takes readers behind the scenes at companies, from NVIDIA and Microsoft to rising startups like Lex, to see AQ in action. You’ll also meet trailblazers like Maggie Lena Walker, the first female bank president in American history, and Emile-Maurice Hermès, who transformed Hermès into a global luxury powerhouse.
As the adage goes, “the only certain thing is change.” AQ is the critical intelligence for our unpredictable future.
“Holistic, practical, and easy to digest (without feeling corporate). If you’re looking for a quick, yet addictive read about how to manage uncertainty, this is one of those books that will make you feel a little more steady.”—theSkimm
In a time defined by nonstop disruptions, when jobs vanish overnight, industries evolve in months, and yesterday’s rules no longer apply, AQ—the Agility Quotient—is the intelligence you need to handle change, uncertainty, and the unknown. The good news is that, with the right toolkit, you can grow your agility and learn to navigate a world of increasing instability.
Drawing on leadership coach and former venture capitalist Liz Tran’s work with over 200 successful founders, executives, and dozens of companies and organizations, AQ reveals a model for how high-performing teams and managers adapt to uncertainty. Tran will show you how to cultivate “durable skills,” essential human abilities that remain valuable no matter what the future holds. With the book’s Agility Archetype assessment, the book personalizes the AQ journey to every kind of individual. No matter their experience level or ambitions.
Written with conversational flair and practical advice, AQ offers readers a wealth of resources,
• Tools to rebuild confidence for when you’re bombarded by life's curveballs or feeling burned out Actionable steps for making a big shift, even when you feel stuck.
• Advice on finding clarity in moments of professional turbulence.
AQ also takes readers behind the scenes at companies, from NVIDIA and Microsoft to rising startups like Lex, to see AQ in action. You’ll also meet trailblazers like Maggie Lena Walker, the first female bank president in American history, and Emile-Maurice Hermès, who transformed Hermès into a global luxury powerhouse.
As the adage goes, “the only certain thing is change.” AQ is the critical intelligence for our unpredictable future.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2026
49 people are currently reading
610 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 16, 2026
De mens heeft zichzelf lang gemeten in IQ. Daarna kwamen de jaren negentig en ineens was EQ het nieuwe toverwoord; want wat heb je aan een genie dat niet met mensen om kan gaan? Liz Tran gooit er nu een derde maat tegenaan: AQ, je Agility Quotient. Je vermogen om te veranderen. En de timing is eigenlijk niet te negeren: AI maakt in een vogelvlucht dingen mogelijk die vijf jaar geleden nog sciencefiction waren, maar neemt tegelijkertijd banen over die mensen twintig jaar lang met zekerheid hebben uitgeoefend. Herakleitos wist het al: het enige constante is verandering. Hij zei het over rivieren. Hij bedoelde het over alles.
Tran werkt met archetypen en ik schijn een Astronaut te zijn. Het snelste archetype in het omarmen van verandering — gedreven door nieuwsgierigheid en enthousiasme, gericht op het grote plaatje, snel in het omgooien van koers als dat nodig is. Iemand die anderen meetrekt in zijn energie. Maar ook iemand die ideeën sneller opstapelt dan uitvoert en die details en follow-through soms wat te makkelijk over het hoofd ziet. Het "antidote" dat Tran voorschrijft is veelzeggend: vertraag, aard je ideeën in de realiteit, en leg aan anderen uit waarom je doet wat je doet. Wat me misschien het meest aansprak was de omschrijving dat een Astronaut unapologetically zichzelf is — niet als compliment, maar als feit. Geen masker, geen aanpassing aan de verwachting. Soms een kracht. Soms gewoon lastig voor je omgeving.
Dit boek vertelt je niet hoe je jouw carrière toekomstbestendig moet maken. Wel heeft het mij eerlijker laten kijken naar hoe ik met onzekerheid omga en naar de dingen waar ik mezelf graag op blind staar. In een wereld die sneller verandert dan ooit is dat eigenlijk de meest waardevolle vraag die je jezelf kunt stellen: niet wat er verandert, maar wie ben jij als de grond onder je verschuift.
Tran werkt met archetypen en ik schijn een Astronaut te zijn. Het snelste archetype in het omarmen van verandering — gedreven door nieuwsgierigheid en enthousiasme, gericht op het grote plaatje, snel in het omgooien van koers als dat nodig is. Iemand die anderen meetrekt in zijn energie. Maar ook iemand die ideeën sneller opstapelt dan uitvoert en die details en follow-through soms wat te makkelijk over het hoofd ziet. Het "antidote" dat Tran voorschrijft is veelzeggend: vertraag, aard je ideeën in de realiteit, en leg aan anderen uit waarom je doet wat je doet. Wat me misschien het meest aansprak was de omschrijving dat een Astronaut unapologetically zichzelf is — niet als compliment, maar als feit. Geen masker, geen aanpassing aan de verwachting. Soms een kracht. Soms gewoon lastig voor je omgeving.
Dit boek vertelt je niet hoe je jouw carrière toekomstbestendig moet maken. Wel heeft het mij eerlijker laten kijken naar hoe ik met onzekerheid omga en naar de dingen waar ik mezelf graag op blind staar. In een wereld die sneller verandert dan ooit is dat eigenlijk de meest waardevolle vraag die je jezelf kunt stellen: niet wat er verandert, maar wie ben jij als de grond onder je verschuift.
February 23, 2026
AQ is the go-to guide for navigating the exponentially changing world we live in today. It’s easy to digest, deeply inspiring, and filled with practical tools and actionable exercises to help you strengthen your AQ in every area of life.
I especially the AQ archetypes as a framework for understanding myself, my peers, and my loved ones more deeply. The book highlights that we each have an important role to play when it comes to handling change. By understanding other archetypes and how they complement our own, we can lean on the people around us with more awareness and navigate change, uncertainty, and disappointment with greater resilience.
This is an excellent read for anyone going through a period of transition, as well as for those who simply want to strengthen their agility muscles in response to the ever changing world we live in. Highly recommended!
I especially the AQ archetypes as a framework for understanding myself, my peers, and my loved ones more deeply. The book highlights that we each have an important role to play when it comes to handling change. By understanding other archetypes and how they complement our own, we can lean on the people around us with more awareness and navigate change, uncertainty, and disappointment with greater resilience.
This is an excellent read for anyone going through a period of transition, as well as for those who simply want to strengthen their agility muscles in response to the ever changing world we live in. Highly recommended!
March 1, 2026
3.75 - I had a lot of ah-ha moments when I discovered I was an “astronaut”. This book is very actionable and could be applied to both professional and personal life/goals/situations.
Where it fell short was the depth of case studies. The author identified interesting case studies of Nike, Nvidia, Hermes, etc, but I felt she fell short/would stop abruptly of expanding on these founders/companies and how they related to AQ. I would’ve preferred to read more of these case studies (even of the more unknown individuals), but a lot of the pages took up her personal life which felt semi-autobiographical.
Where it fell short was the depth of case studies. The author identified interesting case studies of Nike, Nvidia, Hermes, etc, but I felt she fell short/would stop abruptly of expanding on these founders/companies and how they related to AQ. I would’ve preferred to read more of these case studies (even of the more unknown individuals), but a lot of the pages took up her personal life which felt semi-autobiographical.
February 19, 2026
Liz Tran did it again with a book that sees, challenges, and unlocks a new way of thinking. Her writing walks the tightrope of clarity and depth; it's accessible to the self-help skeptics and the woo-woo spirituals and those somewhere in between like me. I think she's touched on what a lot of us have been feeling--in a world evolving at a rapid pace with AI and geopolitics and unemployment and everything else, how do we 1) keep up 2) lean into our natural talents/abilities/who we are and 3) thrive--for ourselves, and for the world. Highly recommend!
February 26, 2026
This Book is the Gift We Need Right Now
In this book, and all of Liz's work, she gives people permission to grow and push their growth edges, but it feels so possible because of her grounded, logical guidance.
Understanding ourselves and others around us, and our ability to change, is the ultimate gift in this rapidly evolving world.
The archetypes she presents in AQ are simple but powerful, and most importantly, they're easy to remember. This can be brought into discussion and referenced during your own moments of change.
In this book, and all of Liz's work, she gives people permission to grow and push their growth edges, but it feels so possible because of her grounded, logical guidance.
Understanding ourselves and others around us, and our ability to change, is the ultimate gift in this rapidly evolving world.
The archetypes she presents in AQ are simple but powerful, and most importantly, they're easy to remember. This can be brought into discussion and referenced during your own moments of change.
February 19, 2026
AQ by Liz Tran offers a compelling perspective on understanding your archetype and your relationship with change. Instead of prescribing rigid strategies, the book helps you recognize the deeper patterns and hidden drivers shaping how you respond to uncertainty, growth, and transition. Insightful and practical, it’s a valuable read for anyone looking to navigate complexity with greater self-awareness and intention.
March 30, 2026
Reading this book is like having an introductory session with a good career coach. I'm not very big into the self help genree and sometimes this book stumbles a bit into the kind of biographical neat takeaways of successful people that self help books are too fond of, but I do appreciate the lack of pop pseudo-science and the focus on applicable frameworks for motivating yourself through constant, often uncomfortable change.
February 4, 2026
AQ is the short hand and framework I needed to make sense of the critical skill we all need to cultivate in this moment of human history. Liz is a kind, wise, caring, charismatic guide and helps take an abstract idea and grounds it in practical advice, powerful insights and actionable steps. Will be gifting this one, and referencing it too!
February 20, 2026
Liz Tran has been breaking new ground in wellness and her latest book is next level! She develops from IQ/EQ and helps create a new range to study yourself. Her new book helps brings a grand awareness on focus in improving oneself in a professional environment as well as spiritual 🙏 much needed in this day and age!
February 20, 2026
I can't recommend this book enough for anyone going through a career transition, struggling with their professional identity or wanting to prepare themselves for major changes to the workforce landscape. AQ is thoughtfully organized and filled with helpful concepts. Well worth reading and returning to in the future.
February 24, 2026
from the very beginning of this book to the very end, there is so much value in liz’s writing. her style in sharing stories and frameworks is clear, creative, and approachable. i am so grateful for the wisdom of this book, i’ve already bought multiple copies to send to friends and loved ones.
April 24, 2026
another really great book by Liz Tran. a little more solution solving rather than intuition based in comparison to her previous book. a good reminder that change happens and we can/should embrace it.
February 19, 2026
A must read- a total game changer no matter who you are. This book completely altered my mindset and helped me navigate a challenging experience.
March 4, 2026
Wonderfully written and actionable! This books defines what it means to be resilient in an ever-changing world.
March 8, 2026
A book I will revisit when I'm navigating change or need a framework to collaborate with different teammates
March 18, 2026
I genuinely love Liz’s writing and books! They are always. Her work (and this book) provided such great perspective and inspiration for me
March 30, 2026
Excellent book! This is an interesting perspective on navigating a quickly changing world.
April 2, 2026
AMAZING!!!!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews