There is a lot of stuff being written and discussed about emotional intelligence and its relevance in today’s competitive corporate environment. Today we shall analyze and understand the importance of EQ and how it supersedes IQ.
As Einstein said, "The intutive mind is a sacred gift and rational mind is faithful servant. We have created a society that honors a servant and has forgotton the gift."
So what is exactly Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence involves the “abilities to perceive, appraise, and express emotion; to access and/or generate feelings when they facilitate thought; to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and to regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth”
The building blocks of Emotional intelligence are
- Self-awareness: Knowing your emotions
- Self-regulation: Managing your own emotions
- Motivation: Motivating yourself
- Empathy: Recognizing / understanding other's emotions
- Social skill: Managing relationships or managing emotions of others
Cognitive skills such as big-picture thinking and long-term vision were particularly important. But when we calculate the ratio of technical skills, IQ, and emotional intelligence as ingredients of excellent performance, emotional intelligence proved to be twice as important as the others for jobs at all levels.
The Five Components of Emotional Intelligence at Work
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[tab_item title=”Self-Awareness”]
Definition
The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others
Hallmark
Self-Confidence, Realistic self-assesment, Self-depreciating sense of humor
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[tab_item title=”Self-Regulation”]
Definition
The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods. The propensity to suspend judgement- to think before acting
Hallmark
Trustworthiness and integrity, Comfort and ambiguity, Openness to change
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[tab_item title=”Motivation”]
Definition
A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status, A propensity to persue goals with energy and persistence
Hallmark
Strong drive to achieve, Optimism even in factor of failure, Organization commitment
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[tab_item title=”Empathy”]
Definition
The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people, Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions
Hallmark
Expertise in building and retaining talents, Cross-cultural sensitivity, Service to clients and customers
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[tab_item title=”Social Skill”]
Definition
Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, An ability to find common ground and build rapport
Hallmark
Effectiveness in leading change, Persuasiveness, Expertise and building and leading teams
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Emotional Intelligence embraces and draws from branches of behavioral, emotional and communications theories: NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Transactional Analysis and Empathy.
EQ helps in
- Developing Productivity
- Lessening Stress for individuals and organizations, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and increasing stability, continuity and harmony.
IQ accounts for only 20% of success. Being intelligent about emotions means that we can perceive and use emotions to create optimal relationships and produce desired outcomes.
And the best part of EQ is that it can be learnt at any age!
To conclude, a quote from the Daniel Goleman: “I have found, however, that the most effective leaders are 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 mainly as “threshold capabilities”; that is, they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions. But my research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without a good EQ, a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still won’t make a great leader.”
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