Emotional Intelligence

Meaning
 Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to
understand and manage your emotions, as well as
recognize and influence the emotions of those
around you. The term was first coined in 1990 by
researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey, but was
later popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman.
 “The most effective leaders are all alike in one
crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has
come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s
not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They
do matter, but...they are the entry-level
requirements for executive positions.”
Nature and significance of EI
 As we know, it‘s not the smartest people that are
the most successful or the most fulfilled in life.
You probably know people who are academically
brilliant and yet are socially inept and
unsuccessful at work or in their personal
relationships. Intellectual ability or our
intelligence quotient (IQ) isn‘t enough on its own
to be successful in life. Yes, our IQ can help you
get into college, but it‘s our EQ that will help you
manage the stress and emotions when facing our
final exams. IQ and EQ exist in tandem and are
most effective when they build off one another
Emotional intelligence affects
 Our performance at school or work: A high emotional
intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of
the workplace, lead and motivate others, and excel in our
career. In fact, when it comes to gauging important job
candidates, many companies now view emotional intelligence
as being as important as technical ability and use EQ testing
before hiring.
 Our physical health: If you're unable to manage our emotions,
you probably are not managing our stress either. This can lead
to serious health problems. Uncontrolled stress can raise
blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the
risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and
speed up the aging process. The first step to improving
emotional intelligence is to learn how to manage stres
 Our mental health: Uncontrolled emotions and stress can also impact
our mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
If you are unable to understand, be comfortable with, or manage our
emotions, you'll also struggle to form strong relationships. This in
turn can leave you feeling lonely and isolated and further exacerbate
any mental health problems. Our relationships: By understanding our
emotions and how to control them, you're better able to express how
you feel and understand how others are feeling. This allows you to
communicate more effectively and forge stronger relationships, both
at work and in our personal life.
 Our social intelligence: Being in tune with our emotions serves a
social purpose, connecting you to other people and the world around
you. Social intelligence enables you to recognize friend from foe,
measure another person‘s interest in you, reduce stress and balance
our nervous system through social communication, and feel loved
and happy
How then can one improve
emotional intelligence?
 Pay attention to self and other’s body language
 Listen more; speak less- develops empathy
 Get curious, not furious- Watch what you say
especially when frustrated or annoyed. Reframe
negative emotions into curiosity - " ... this makes
absolutely no sense to me" can be replaced with, "Do
you see something in this that I must be missing”
 Elicit pride in others – Reason for working together
 Remember that emotions are contagious - A dominant
person's emotions (negative or positive) always
influences others. Leaders should be careful to show
only those emotions, which they want to see in others
Benefits of Emotional intelligence
 Emotional intelligence has been popular in the
business world since 1995, and although 23 years
have passed it still plays a huge role in successful
businesses. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is a
big fan of Emotional intelligence, and has used it in
the past to handle criticisms of working conditions.
Ursula Burns, the first black woman CEO to head a
Fortune 500 company, also uses this skill in her work
to inspire and motivate teams. The best thing about
emotional intelligence is that it’s a skill you can learn
with practice. For example, people who measure low
in emotional intelligence can improve a specific EQ
skill within six months to a year
Five benefits
 There are many benefits to Emotional intelligence, but here are just a
few…
 It allows for better team work Teams with emotionally intelligent members
are great at working together. They have good communication, trust each
other, and value each other’s input. When someone makes a suggestion,
they’re able to respond in a positive and productive way.
 You can deal with change Not many people like change, but Emotional
intelligence gives you the tools you need to deal with any change that
comes your way. In the workplace, many people often face change with a
negative attitude and crossed arms; but an emotionally intelligent person
will be much more positive and can inspire other team members to feel
the same way.
 You can handle those tough conversations Whether it’s an angry customer
or an upset employee, difficult conversations can stir up all sorts of
emotions. If you have the right skills, you can handle those conversations
by emotionally connecting with the other person before finding a
resolution.
Contd….
 It’s an essential people skill Emotional intelligence
allows you to quickly build trust with people, as well as
a rapport. You’ll be able to understand their feelings
and empathise with them – fantastic for any role that
involves working in teams!
 It’s a key feature of a strong leader Great leaders
understand people; they know how they work, how to
influence them, and how to inspire them. Emotional
intelligence will help you to achieve this understanding
in order to be a brilliant leader and guide your team in
the right direction. And when IQ and technical skills are
at the same level, EQ accounts for nearly 90% of what
moves people up the ladder.
Other Benefits…
 Improves relationships with people
 Improves communication with people
 Improves empathy skills
 By acting with integrity, it helps you to gain the
respect of others
 Improves career prospects
 Safer management of change
 Increases the pleasure of work
 Makes you feel confident and positive in attitude
 Reduces stress level
 Increases creativity
 Helps you learn from mistake