Updated June 12, 2023
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
- In layman’s terms, Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the capability of a person to manage and control their emotions and those around them. Here we will discuss the importance of emotional intelligence.
- Emotional intelligence is considered a valuable skill in both personal and professional settings, as it can enhance one’s ability to build relationships, communicate effectively, lead teams, and make informed decisions.
- Studies have also shown that people with higher levels of emotional intelligence tend to be more successful in their personal and professional lives.
- Daniel Goleman said, “CEOs are hired for their intellect and business expertise and fired for lack of emotional intelligence.” There is also a famous saying –”Magic comes alive when intelligence combines with emotions.”
- One may think that emotions have nothing to do with intelligence, but that’s the critical aspect of success in an organization.
As much as it is vital to have experience and skills, it is also very essential to have enough emotional intelligence to sustain one’s leadership role for the following reasons:
- Emotional intelligence helps to relate to others in much better and more effective ways.
- It necessitates the need to admit and learn from mistakes, thus cutting down on the significant ego issues in the organization.
- It also enables one to have control over emotions and have thoughtful discussions.
- Ensures leaders are good at active listening.
- Molds a leader to take criticism positively.
- It helps to stay calm even under pressure.
- One in three hiring managers emphasizes that EI should be a prerequisite in hiring and promotion.
- EI is more important than IQ (Intelligence Quotient) because a person with good artistry but incapable of apprehending the team’s issues can create a hostile work environment that isn’t good for the group or the organization.
Components of Emotional Intelligence
In the book “Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ,” one of the most famous psychologists, Daniel Goleman, lays out five critical components of emotional intelligence.
1. Self-Awareness: It is advisable to know oneself, mainly the strengths and weaknesses. It enables a person to understand how to react to different people and situations in the workplace. Self-aware people are, in most cases, self-confident too. The only way to improve self-awareness is by sacrificing the comfort zone.
2. Self-Regulation: It is the art of regulating one’s emotions to manage and have self-control over them. It also necessitates working on one’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior to get positive results.
3. Motivation: People with high EI tend to be more optimistic in their approach. Thus, making them highly motivated. Also, they are more flexible with their work and can handle any situation.
4. Empathy: Empathy is essential for every working person, especially for people in leadership roles. Putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes is imperative to ensure an excellent mutual connection between the employees.
5. Social Skills: A person with high EI always cares for others and also tends to get along well with everyone.
What is the difference between IQ and EQ?
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
Since school, we have all heard this term. It is the measure of one’s intelligence. It is the score from several standardized tests designed to evaluate intelligence.
They can make mental connections quickly, and they tend to think in a very abstract way.
Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ)
It refers to the capability of a person to manage and control their emotions and possess the ability to control the feelings of others. It is a crucial skill one needs to succeed in life personally and professionally.
Thus, the importance of emotional intelligence proves more eminent than IQ because as much as it is essential to be intelligent and to know how to control emotions, especially in the workplace.
Why does Emotional Intelligence Matter?
Theodore Roosevelt said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Emotions are a part of being human, and the EI quotient is the heart of being human. EI helps people to take care of themselves as well as the well-being of others.
Emotionally intelligent people could inspire and lead others. Thus, ensuring strong relationships and enabling them to be successful in their work and personal lives.
Why is Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ) Needed in the Workplace?
- To have self-regard, to accept yourself as you are.
- To be assertive about what you need to say and when.
- To have a social responsibility to achieve sustainability for the organization.
- To have the urge to control, delay or resist an impulse.
- To have flexibility and willingness to work for the betterment and ensure an instantaneous response to changing expectations and situations.
- To be able to work with your competencies.
- To build strong relationships with employees and face the day-to-day challenges at the workplace.
EQ and Recruitment
Employees are hired based on their Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ). Although there are many psychometric tests to determine one’s EQ, the hirers mostly prefer to evaluate it in person, which is more practical.
So now that we have understood the importance of emotional intelligence let us focus on improving one’s EQ.
How to Improve your Emotional Intelligence?
Let’s see a more realistic and practical approach to this.
There are seven ways to improve Emotional Intelligence:
1. Reflect on Your Emotions: One must be self-aware of their emotions to control them.
2. Ask for Perspective: What we see may not always be accurate. Hence, it is prominent to take feedback from others about our emotional behavior.
3. Observe: A person equipped with self-awareness must be able to observe their own emotions.
4. Pause for a Moment: It is essential to cultivate the habit of thinking twice before saying or doing anything to manage our emotions in the workplace.
5. Become More Empathetic by Understanding the “Why”: One must understand the other person’s emotions and examine the “why” question behind their emotional behavior.
6. Choose to Learn from Criticism: Isn’t it obvious that none of us like being criticized? We miss out on constructive criticism because of our ego. When we take criticism in the right way, then that would help us to grow and become better employees and better humans.
7. Practice, Practice, Practice: As the saying goes, “Practice makes a man perfect.” to know the importance of emotional intelligence, one must practice it by exercising control over our emotions in every situation and being patient.
Some More Ways by Which we Can Improve our Emotional Intelligence are:
- To have an effective resolution.
- To stay positive.
- Be mindful of non-verbal communication.
- Reduce stress.
- To stay connected to your emotions.
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