Emotional intelligence involves perceiving, understanding, and regulating emotions. It is not the opposite of IQ but rather the intersection of heart and head. The document discusses emotional intelligence and its five components, comparing it to IQ and exploring how it relates to the left and right brain. It provides resources on leadership exercises and an emotional intelligence test.
2. "Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions,
to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought,
to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to
reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional
and intellectual growth."
- Mayer & Salovey, 1997
What is Emotional Intelligence
7. “Emotional Intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph
of heart over head - It is the unique intersection of both.” --David Caruso
Why do We Need Emotional Intelligence?
8. Role play:
Team comes up with a disagreement or
conflict
Act out the situation
Discuss how well they handled the situation
Run through the exercise again to find more
Activity
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.
Emotional Intelligence can be abbreviated as EI and is also known as Emotional Quotient (EQ).
The psychologists Salovey and Mayer originally came up with the term ‘emotional intelligence’ in 1990. However, Daniel Goleman popularized it in 1995 in his bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence: Why it can Matter More than IQ.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is a value that indicates a person's ability to learn, understand, and apply information and skills in a meaningful way. The major difference between EQ and IQ is what part of a person's mental abilities they measure: understanding emotion or understanding information.
IQ and EQ are both instrumental in assuring a person's happiness and ability to succeed. But humans are social animals, which may make EQ a more necessary component to living a happy and successful life. Having a high IQ will definitely offer other advantages, but EQ is more difficult to live without. People with high EQ do not have to have high IQ to succeed because social skills in the workplace and in everyday life are constantly utilized. People with high IQ may be exceptionally brilliant at understanding information, but when it comes to social interaction they may have to work harder to make themselves understood. Unlike IQ, EQ can be improved and it may influence personal success more than IQ. Emotional intelligence is often more difficult to measure than IQ, and the methods used are fairly different, so it's not easy to compare them on equal terms. There are also many individuals with very high IQs who seem to be limited in terms of social skills and emotional recognition. Research shows that IQ can help you to be successful to the extent of 20% in life, while 80% depends on your EQ.
A high EQ means someone is self-confident, self-aware, and able to handle difficult emotional experiences. It is often tied directly to the degree of success a person may have in the workplace and in personal relationships. People with high EQ can often better recognize and control their own emotions, and recognize emotional states in others to adjust their behavior accordingly.
A person's IQ, on the other hand, measures concepts like logical reasoning, word comprehension, and math skills rather than creative potential or emotional abilities. People with a high IQ may be able to learn certain subjects very quickly and make connections between ideas that others miss. They often have great academic success, although they may struggle to find classes that challenge them. The ability to acquire knowledge does not necessarily mean people can recognize and manage their own emotional states, however.
The left and right hemispheres of our brain process information in different ways. We tend to have a natural tendency towards one way of thinking, but the two sides of our brain work together in our everyday lives.
The right brain of the brain focuses on the visual, and processes information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, looking first at the whole picture and then the details. This side is very non-verbal and intuitive, using pictures rather than words.
The left brain is verbal, processing information in an analytical and sequential way, looking first at the pieces then putting them together to get the whole. This side is very verbal and analytical.
The best illustration of this is to listen to people give directions. The left brain person will say something like “From here, go west three blocks and turn north on Vine Street. Go three or four miles and then turn east onto Broad Street.” The right brain person will sound something like this: “Turn right (pointing right), by the church over there (pointing again). Then you will pass a McDonalds and a Walmart. At the next light, turn right toward the Esso station.”
Though right-brain or non-verbal thinking is often regarded as more ‘creative’, there is no right or wrong here; it is merely two different ways of thinking. One is not better than the other, just as being right-handed is not ‘superior’ to being left-handed. What is important is to be aware that there are different ways of thinking, and by knowing what your natural preference is, you can pay attention to your less dominant side to improve the same.
In Daniel Goleman’s book he defines EI as: “Understanding one’s own feelings, empathy for the feelings of others, and the regulation of emotion in a way that enhances living.”
He made two claims regarding Emotional Intelligence as well,
First: Emotional Intelligence may be more important for success than IQ.
Second: Unlike IQ, Emotional Intelligence can be improved.
The Five Components of Emotional Intelligence
Self-awareness: Understanding how you feel and being able to accurately assess your own emotional state by being able to recognize and understand personal moods and emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others. Self-awareness depends on one's ability to monitor one's own emotion state and to correctly identify and name one's emotions. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:
Confidence
Sense of humor (can laugh at self)
Aware of your impression on others (can read the reactions of others to know how you are perceived
Self-management:The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods, and the propensity to suspend judgment and to think before acting. Hallmarks include trustworthiness and integrity; comfort with ambiguity; and openness to change. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:
Conscientious and take personal responsibility for your own work/deeds.
Adaptable (and favorable) to change
When someone is complaining or is rude to you, you do not respond in kind. You respond in a manner which would not escalate the situation. (At this point, you will also realize that when someone expresses anger at you, they’re not always angry at you; they’re often just angry and want to take it out on someone.)
Internal motivation: A passion to work for internal reasons that go beyond money and status -which are external rewards, - such as an inner vision of what is important in life, a joy in doing something, curiosity in learning, a flow that comes with being immersed in an activity. A propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence. Hallmarks include a strong drive to achieve, optimism even in the face of failure, and organizational commitment. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:
Initiative and the commitment to complete a task
Perseverance in the face of adversity
Empathy: include expertise in building and retaining talent, cross-cultural sensitivity, and service to clients and customers.
It is important to note that empathy does not necessarily imply compassion. Empathy can be 'used' for compassionate or cruel behavior.
Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:
Perceptive of other’s emotions and taking an active interest in their concerns.
Proactive—able to anticipate someone’s needs and the appropriate reaction.
Social Situations such as office politics do not phase one who has a firm grasp of empathy
Social skills: Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and an ability to find common ground and build rapport. Hallmarks of social skills include effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise building and leading teams. Emotional Maturity in this trait shows:
Communication: Listening and responding appropriately
Influence and Leadership: The ability to guide and inspire others
Conflict Management: The ability to diffuse difficult situations using persuasion and negotiation.
Just as it’s important to seek new hires with emotional intelligence, it is vital for managers and other business leaders to operate in emotionally intelligent ways to meet the needs of today’s workers.
Investing in EQ has brings companies more engaged and committed employees.
EQ is important for:
Physical Health – The ability to take care of our bodies and especially to manage our stress, which has an incredible impact on our overall wellness, is tied to our emotional intelligence. By being aware of our emotional state and our reactions to stress in our lives we can manage stress and maintain good health.
Mental Well-Being – EQ affects our attitude and outlook on life. It can also help to alleviate anxiety and avoid depression and mood swings. A high level of emotional intelligence correlates to a positive attitude and a happier outlook on life.
Relationships – By better understanding and managing our emotions, we are better able to communicate our feelings in a more constructive manner. We are also better able to understand and relate to those with whom we are in relationships. Understanding the needs, feelings, and responses of those we care about leads to stronger and more fulfilling relationships.
Conflict Resolution – When we can discern people’s emotions and empathize with their perspective, it is much easier to resolve conflicts or possibly avoid them before they start. We are also better at negotiation due to our ability to understand the needs and desires of others. It’s easier to give people what they want if we can perceive what it is.
Success – Higher EQ helps us to be stronger internal motivators, which can reduce procrastination, increase self-confidence, and improve our ability to focus on a goal. It allows us to create better networks of support, overcome setbacks, and persevere with a more resilient outlook. Our ability to delay gratification and see the long-term directly affects our ability to succeed.
Leadership – The ability to understand what motivates others, relate in a positive manner, and to build stronger bonds with others in the workplace makes those with higher emotional intelligence better leaders. An effective leader can recognize what the needs of his people are, so that those needs can be met in a way that encourages higher performance and workplace satisfaction. An emotionally savvy and intelligent leader is also able to build stronger teams by strategically utilizing the emotional diversity of their team members to benefit the team as a whole.