We have all heard of IQ (intelligence quotient) which measures our intellectual ability and often predicts school performance. However, the idea of Emotional Intelligence or Emotional Quotient (EQ) is not as well known or understood despite the fact that it can determine up to 80% of the success in a person’s life. IQ determines about 20%.
The idea of Emotional Intelligence (EI) was proposed in the early 1980s. Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence (1995) popularized the idea in the United States. Since then, many books have been written about what it is, why it matters, and how we can improve it.
Here are some things we know about IE:
o It is not fixed or innate like the IQ that represents our cognitive ability.
o The need for EI increases with higher levels of responsibility.
o Influences success in 4 areas of life: performance or productivity, health, relationships, and quality of life.
o Determines who excels in a given job and is the foundation for outstanding leadership.
Very simply, EI looks at how you handle yourself and your relationships. Goleman noted in a later book, Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998), that while IQ has been rising steadily over the years, EI has been falling. There is concern that children have more emotional problems than previous generations and will soon enter the workforce without basic competency in the personal and social areas of their lives.
Negative emotions or distress erode mental abilities and lower EI. The percentage of time that people feel negative emotions at work is one of the strongest predictors of dissatisfaction and the likelihood that they will quit. Additionally, dissonance or disharmony in an environment reduces productivity and achievement.
Moods influence the effectiveness of people, whether they are adults or children. Upbeat moods drive cooperation, fairness, and performance in the workplace or at home.
Your emotional center (the limbic system) in the brain works like an open circuit that depends on external sources to manage itself. Of all the emotional cues, smiles are the most contagious. Genuine laughter instantly engages the limbic systems between people. It signals trust, comfort, and a shared sense of the world. When people feel good, they work at their best. A resonant environment cultivates an atmosphere of trust and cooperation.
Goleman simplified the EI model into two broad areas: Personal and Social Competence in his book, Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (2002). Each area has two domains or dimensions with specific competencies in each area:
Personal competence: how we manage ourselves.
I. Self-awareness
o Emotional self-awareness
o Accurate self-assessment
or self-confidence
II. Self-management
o Emotional self-control
or Transparency
or Adaptability
Achievements
or Initiative
Optimism
Social competence: how we manage relationships
I. Social Awareness
or Empathy
o Organizational awareness
Service
II. relationship management
o Inspirational leadership
or influence
o Develop others
o Change of catalyst
o Conflict management
o Creation of links
o Teamwork and collaboration
The premise is that since emotions are at the heart of effective leadership, the key to being an effective leader lies in learning to manage yourself and your relationships in a positive way.
Self-awareness is the foundation on which self-management, social awareness, and relationship management are built. These are not innate abilities. They are learned and can be retained through motivation and intentional effort, practice and repetition. Learning stimulates new neural connections between the emotional and thinking parts of the brain. Self-awareness is necessary for understanding and self-management. Increased satisfaction and productivity follow.
Improving your Emotional Intelligence helps you be more effective in your career and have a more fulfilling personal life because:
o Motivates you to do your best
o Strengthens trust to build productive relationships
o Build resilience to perform under pressure
o Increases confidence and courage to make good decisions
o Develops the strength to persevere through adversity
o Clarify your vision for creating the future.
To start a learning plan to improve your EI, carefully answer these two questions:
1. What is your ideal vision of yourself, the person you want to be, and who you are now? Think about your strengths and values as you answer this question. Your learning plan helps you build on your strengths while bridging the gaps between your ideal self and reality.
2. Who are the support people who can help you make the change happen? A coach helps him see things he might be missing, affirms progress, provides experimentation and practice, and lets him know how he’s doing.
It’s important to take the time to make decisions that will improve your happiness level and increase your EI starting today. The choice is up to you.