Emotional Intelligence

Would you like to be more like this?

As more and more people accept that emotional intelligence is just as important to professional success as technical ability, organizations are increasingly using it when they hire and promote.

For example, one large cosmetics company recently revised their hiring process for salespeople to choose candidates based on their emotional intelligence. The result? People hired with the new system have sold, on average, $91,000 more than salespeople selected under the old system. There has also been significantly lower staff turnover among the group chosen for their emotional intelligence.

So, what exactly is emotional intelligence, and what can you do to improve yours?

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

We all have different personalities, different wants and needs, and different ways of showing our emotions. Navigating through this all takes tact and cleverness – especially if we hope to succeed in life. This is where emotional intelligence becomes important.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your emotions, understand what they're telling you, and realize how your emotions affect people around you. It also involves your perception of others: when you understand how they feel, this allows you to manage relationships more effectively.

People with high emotional intelligence are usually successful in most things they do. Why? Because they're the ones that others want on their team. When people with high emotional intelligence send an email, it gets answered. When they need help, they get it. Because they make others feel good, they go through life much more easily than people who are easily angered or upset.

Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence

In his book titled "Emotional Intelligence - Why It Can Matter More Than IQ" 1995, Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, developed a framework of five elements that define emotional intelligence:

1. Self-Awareness – People with high emotional intelligence are usually very self-aware. They understand their emotions, and because of this, they don't let their feelings rule them. They're confident – because they trust their intuition and don't let their emotions get out of control.
   They're also willing to take an honest look at themselves. They know their strengths and weaknesses, and they work on these areas so they can perform better. Many people believe that this self-awareness is the most important part of emotional intelligence.
   
2. Self-Regulation – This is the ability to control emotions and impulses. People who self-regulate typically don't allow themselves to become too angry or jealous, and they don't make impulsive, careless decisions. They think before they act. Characteristics of self-regulation are thoughtfulness, comfort with change, integrity, and the ability to say no.
3. Motivation – People with a high degree of emotional intelligence are usually motivated. They're willing to defer immediate results for long-term success. They're highly productive, love a challenge, and are very effective in whatever they do.
4. Empathy – This is perhaps the second-most important element of emotional intelligence. Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand the wants, needs, and viewpoints of those around you. People with empathy are good at recognizing the feelings of others, even when those feelings may not be obvious. As a result, empathetic people are usually excellent at managing relationships, listening, and relating to others. They avoid stereotyping and judging too quickly, and they live their lives in a very open, honest way.
5. Social Skills – It's usually easy to talk to and like people with good social skills, another sign of high emotional intelligence. Those with strong social skills are typically team players. Rather than focus on their own success first, they help others develop and shine. They can manage disputes, are excellent communicators, and are masters at building and maintaining relationships.

Terms reproduced by permission of Bloomsbury Press.

As you've probably determined, emotional intelligence can be a key to success in your life – especially in your career. The ability to manage people and relationships is very important in all leaders, so developing and using your emotional intelligence can be a good way to show others the leader inside of you.

How Do You Become Emotionally Intelligent?

The good news is that emotional intelligence can be learned and developed. As well as working on your skills in the five areas above, use these strategies:

• Observe how you react to people. Do you rush to judgment before you know all of the facts? Do you stereotype? Look honestly at how you think and interact with other people. Try to put yourself in their place, and be more open and accepting of their perspectives and needs.
• Look at your work environment. Do you seek attention for your accomplishments? Humility can be a wonderful quality, and it doesn't mean that you're shy or lack self-confidence. When you practice humility, you say that you know what you did, and you can be quietly confident about it. Give others a chance to shine – put the focus on them, and don't worry too much about getting praise for yourself.
• Do a self-evaluation. Try out our emotional intelligence quiz. What are your weaknesses? Are you willing to accept that you're not perfect and that you could work on some areas to make yourself a better person? Have the courage to look at yourself honestly – it can change your life.
• Examine how you react to stressful situations. Do you become upset every time there's a delay or something doesn't happen the way you want? Do you blame others or become angry at them, even when it's not their fault? The ability to stay calm and in control in difficult situations is highly valued – in the business world and outside it. Keep your emotions under control when things go wrong.
• Take responsibility for your actions. If you hurt someone's feelings, apologize directly – don't ignore what you did or avoid the person. People are usually more willing to forgive and forget if you make an honest attempt to make things right.
• Examine how your actions will affect others – before you take those actions. If your decision will impact others, put yourself in their place. How will they feel if you do this? Would you want that experience? If you must take the action, how can you help others deal with the effects?

What is Emotional Intelligence in Leadership?

To be effective, leaders must have a solid understanding of how their emotions and actions affect the people around them. The better a leader relates to and works with others, the more successful he or she will be.

Being an emotionally intelligent leader means you will be able to coach teams, manage stress, deliver feedback, and collaborate with others more effectively.

Why is Emotional Intelligence Important in Leadership?

For leaders, having Emotional Intelligence is essential for success. After all, who is more likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at their team when they are under stress, or a leader who stays in control, and calmly assesses the situation?

The more that you, as a leader, excel in each of Goleman's five key elements of Emotional Intelligence – self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills – the more effective as a leader you will be.

Leading With Emotional Intelligence

What leading with Emotional Intelligence means in practical terms is becoming a leader who brings the best out in people.

That happens when you really “connect” with people – and when it does, it can impact both engagement and productivity.

Four ways you can do this are:

• Be an active listener, so people know you value what they think
• Be empathetic, so people know you care
• Take time to understand what motivates your employees
• Get perspective by discovering where your employees are “coming from,” how their lived experiences can benefit your team and organization

For an in-depth explanation, see our article on Emotional Intelligence in Leadership for specific tips related to a leadership role.

Frequently Asked Questions About Emotional Intelligence

What Are the Top 5 Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence in Leaders?

The more that you, as a leader, excel in each of Goleman's five key elements of Emotional Intelligence the more effective as a leader you will be. These are:

• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social skills

What Are the Top Qualities of Leaders?

Leaders set direction and help themselves and others to do the right thing to move forward. To do this they:

• Create an inspiring vision
• Then motivate and inspire others to achieve it.
• They manage delivery of the vision, either directly or indirectly
• They build and coach their teams to make them ever stronger.
• They're flexible and adapt to their circumstances.

How Can You Improve Your Leadership Skills?

Successful leaders tend to have certain traits. Two keys areas of personal growth and development are fundamental to leadership success: self-confidence and a positive attitude.

Self-confident people are usually inspiring, and people like to be around individuals who believe in themselves and in what they're doing.

Likewise, if you're a positive and optimistic person who tries to make the best of any situation, you'll find it much easier to motivate people to do their best.

What are the 3 C's of Emotional Intelligence?

The main characteristics of Emotional Intelligence are sometimes reduced to three central ideas – the 3 C's:

• Consciousness – being mindful of your emotions, being self-aware so you can identify how your emotions impact others.
• Compassion – being empathetic towards others. Having the ability to identify with and understand the wants, needs, and viewpoints of those around you.
• Connectedness – the ability to get on with others. It's usually easy to talk to and like people with good social skills, another sign of high emotional intelligence.