It is almost certain that you have heard of emotional quotient, EQ, and emotional intelligence before, but have you ever asked yourself if you are emotionally intelligent? To go one step further, are you emotionally intelligent at work? What about as a leader? If you have pondered these questions, you may have also asked yourself why emotional intelligence is so important. In this article, I will share more about emotional intelligence and its importance to every person, every workplace, every society, and even to the entire world.
What is emotional intelligence?
According to psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer, emotional intelligence is "the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth." In layman's terms, it is the extent to which we are self-aware (able to recognize and understand our emotions), can self-manage (able to adapt and control our emotions and reactions), can motivate ourselves (taking the right actions to achieve a goal), can express empathy for other people, and possess strong social skills (ability to build positive relationships with others).
Emotional intelligence is measured through standardized tests and the result of these tests is called the Emotional Quotient (EQ). The higher your EQ is, the better. However, unlike the Intelligence Quotient (IQ), which is often fixed by the time you reach a certain age, most scholars and psychologists believe that EQ is malleable and can be enhanced and learned.
Why is emotional intelligence important?
EQ may not be as well-known as IQ, yet many experts deem it as more important than IQ. Why? Studies show EQ is a better predictor of success, quality of relationships, and happiness of a person. It is evident everywhere and is critical in all aspects of life. Have you ever heard someone make statements like these: "Wow, what a positive person! He will surely achieve something great in life!" or "She is very caring and sociable. She is such a great boss." These comments illustrate that when a person has high EQ (even when the person does not know it), it is seen and felt by others. It is these types of individuals that others tend to believe will most likely attain success. So, why is EQ important to everyone?
1. EQ is absolutely an important part of forming, developing, maintaining, and enhancing personal relationships with others. It is undeniable that people who know how to build positive relationships with other people will most likely be successful in their fields. Workers with high EQ can work harmoniously in teams and adjust to changes. No matter how intelligent you are, if you have low emotional intelligence, you may find the path to success a struggle. However, there is good news. Take comfort in knowing that you can improve your EQ skills at any age and regardless of past behavior.
2. Being aware of oneself means being able to handle constructive criticisms. You would probably agree that there is no perfect person in the world and in everything we do, we need other people's criticisms and communication to do better. If you have a high EQ, you are self-aware, meaning you understand your strengths, admit your weaknesses, and understand how your actions will affect other people surrounding you. Your high EQ allows you to take these criticisms as an opportunity to improve your performance. This is a crucial part of working in an environment with many stakeholders.
3. Self-motivated people can inspire everyone. When a person is self-motivated, others around them often evaluate their own level of motivation. A self-motivated person is optimistic and is driven by what really matters to him/her. Who would not want a self-motivated person around, right? Motivation is contagious and a highly-motivated household, workplace, or society will repeatedly outperform non-motivated ones. Low-motivation may be a sign that your emotional quotient is low in one or more of the key EQ quadrants.
4. EQ makes the world genuine. People with a high Emotional Quotient have compassion that allows them to connect with others on an "emotional level." If a person is able to empathize with others, then he/she will work genuinely and attend to others' needs with compassion and care; even during times of challenge.
5. Having a high EQ means being able to control yourself in all situations. Your fellow employee shouts at you angrily for some unknown reason. Given this scenario, would you be able to control your emotions and not act the same way he did? You see, EQ is connected to how we control both our positive and our negative emotions. Think back to some of the decisions in your life you are not proud of. Ask yourself how many of them related to a lack of self-control or a lack of impulse control? The answer may be surprising.
Do you have greater clarity around what emotional intelligence and emotional quotient are? Do you agree that it is more important than being "book-intelligent" or having a high IQ? Can you see why EQ is the key to success? I refer to emotional intelligence as the missing link. You know it when you see it... even if you cannot identify it. The challenge is when emotional intelligence is missing it is not always easy to identify. It is often clear that a problem exists but exactly what the problem is may be a mystery.
Knowing what you know about emotional intelligence I have a challenge for you. Ask yourself this question: are you an emotionally intelligent person at home and at work? If the answer is yes, you are on the right track! Continue along this path, strengthening your EQ skills as you go, and you could be well on your way to success. If your answer is no, do not worry. Emotional intelligence is a set of skills you can improve with focus and a sound strategy. Regardless of where you are today, you cannot go wrong investing in yourself and improving your emotional intelligence skills.
Is improving your emotional intelligence on your priority list?
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