Emotional intelligence is a phrase that has been coined fairly recently, but has quickly gained momentum as a key factor in predicting one’s success in professional and personal relationships. This feature, even more than regular intelligence, determines your ability to get along well with others and move forward in your relationships.
Learn about exactly what emotional intelligence entails and the features you should work to cultivate if you want to raise your own EQ.
The History of Emotional Intelligence
While psychologists throughout the past century recognized the importance of emotional and social ability in the success of an individual, it wasn’t until the last decade that the term “emotional intelligence” was born.
Peter Salovey and John Mayer published an article titled, “Emotional Intelligence” in the journal, “Imagination, Cognition and Personality.” This article paved the way for additional studies into the idea of emotional intelligence, including a book by Daniel Goleman, titled, “Emotional Intelligence: Why it can Matter More than IQ.”
As a result of the growing interest in emotional intelligence, many tests have been developed to measure an individual’s EQ. These tests may be given by counselors or even human resources departments, as companies are slowly tuning into the advantages of hiring people with higher EQs. It appears that individuals that fall into this category might be better equipped to produce higher sales quotas and remain with a company longer than those who do not.
Branches of Emotional Intelligence
When Salovey and Mayer developed their theory of emotional intelligence, they constructed four characteristics or branches that go into the measurement of an individual’s EQ. These branches include:
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Perceiving Emotion: This involves how we receive and express emotion through non-verbal messages, such as the tone of voice and facial expressions.
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Using Emotions to Facilitate Thought: This pertains to how we allow emotions to guide our thought processes.
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Understanding Emotions: Every emotion we feel conveys its own unique set of messages and accurately interpreting those messages and the actions associated with them.
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Managing Emotions: Once an individual understands that emotions are used to convey messages, and by effectively taking control of emotions, one can also manage the way he communicates to others.
Within each branch of the emotional intelligence model, skills are included that are either developed early in childhood or as the individual matures.
Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence
As the idea of emotional intelligence was further developed, Daniel Goleman also expanded the concept with five characteristics that accurately define emotional intelligence:
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Self-Awareness: Emotionally intelligent people are tuned into their own feelings and do not let those feelings rule their thoughts and actions.
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Self-Regulation: People who are emotionally mature are able to control their feelings and the impulses that stem from those feelings.
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Motivation: Emotionally intelligent people are generally highly motivated and are willing to put off short-term success to achieve long-term goals.
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Empathy: This characteristic involves the ability to identify with those around you in terms of wants, needs and viewpoints.
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Social Skills: People with high emotional intelligence are usually easy to talk to and enjoyable to be around because they focus on others before themselves.
When you consider these five characteristics of emotional intelligence, it is easy to see why success in life may be so dependent of this key attribute. While some experts believe you either have emotional intelligence or you don’t, others feel that emotional intelligence is something that can be cultivated in time.
Cultivating Emotional Intelligence
If you want to raise your EQ, there are a few key features to focus on, including:
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Self-Evaluation: To achieve true emotional intelligence, you must be willing to honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses and be ready to improve on your weaknesses to make you a better person overall.
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Responsibility: Emotionally intelligent people understand the buck stops with them, and they don’t try to blame their shortcomings on others. If you make a mistake or hurt another person, be ready to own up to your error and apologize if appropriate.
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Look at Others: Always be ready to evaluate how your own words or actions will affect those around you and make your choices with this in mind.
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Manage Stress: Emotionally intelligent people do not waste energy getting upset about every little hurdle that comes their way; they keep their cool even under pressure.
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Dealing with Others: It is important to take time to assess other people, rather than rushing to judgment about an individual through a single action or stereotype.
Emotional intelligence is a key factor in both personal and professional success in life. The good news is that you can work to cultivate a higher EQ, by tuning into your own actions as well as those around you.
