Emotional intelligence (EQ) is about a person’s ability to understand other people, including what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them.
Many business skills advisers as well as psychologists believe for most people, emotional intelligence is much more important than native intelligence (IQ) in attaining success in a career as well as in life in general.
Emotion intelligence is often broken down into categories. At the top of that list is self-awareness, the ability to recognize an emotion as it happens. Experts in this area believe that the key to developing self-awareness requires tuning in to your true feelings. In other words, by evaluating your feelings, you can manage them.
Major elements of self-awareness, include:
- Self-confidence – Sureness about your self-worth and capabilities
- Emotional awareness – The ability to recognize your own emotions and their impact on others
Another key EQ category is self-regulation. This involves things like:
- Innovation – Being open to new ideas
- Self-control – Managing disruptive impulses
- Adaptability – Handling change with flexibility
- Trustworthiness – Maintaining standards of honesty and integrity
- Conscientiousness – Taking responsibility for your own performance
Trainers in EQ development believe there are techniques to alleviate negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and red-hot anger. Recasting a negative situation in a more positive way may help as well as something as simple as leaving your office and taking a nice long walk while breathing deeply.
Empathy is also crucial. This is the ability to recognize how other people feel. The better you are at this the better you can control the signals you send out. People with empathy generally excel at political awareness, leveraging diversity, understanding others as well as anticipating, recognizing and meeting the needs of clients.
Leaders with empathy also have an uncanny ability to help with the development of others. A high EQ often translates to sensing what others need to progress and bolster their natural abilities.
Want to know more about emotional intelligence? Tonex offers Emotional Intelligence Training, the Fundamentals. This is a 1-day class that explores the five key elements associated with emotional intelligence and how to practice each within the context of your workplace.
Additionally, Tonex offers over five dozen other courses in Business Skills training. For more information, questions, comments, contact us.