You might think intelligence, or IQ, should be there. The truth is, however, that emotional intelligence has far more applications than IQ in many areas of life.
It’s not something out of the ordinary, and contrary to popular opinion, it can be improved and perfected with daily mindful practice.
What exactly is emotional intelligence? Simply put, it’s the ability to control one’s emotions, understand them, and channel them in the right direction.
While that might sound vague, it actually isn’t. Humans are emotional most of the time. Rationality goes out the window when fights, survival, and personal needs are involved.
Emotional intelligence is a powerful way to handle all of the above in various ways that we will discuss.
Over the years, emotional intelligence has become a field of study of its own, with industry experts working every day to build a better understanding of what constitutes it and how to train people to have it.
In this article, we will briefly go over some of the benefits that emotional intelligence can bestow and how it can help you change your life.
1. More Success in the Professional World:
It’s well known that emotional intelligence is an asset in any business. Employers now seek out individuals who have a high EI rather than high intelligence.
Why? The answer is that a workplace is an environment where emotions run high, people act unpredictably, and time moves fast.
This is where emotionally intelligent employees come in. When trained in the right manner, emotional intelligence gives the necessary self-awareness to handle people’s changing behaviours and emotions well.
It allows you to adapt your tone of voice, manner of speaking, and even thought process to that of the other person.
In turn, this allows you to solve conflicts, reach agreements, and improve teamwork. The end result is the creation of a positive work environment where everything gets done on time and with great efficiency.
Moreover, you, as an employee, benefit as well.
Being self-aware gives you more control over your own emotions. Not only do you become better at reading people, but you also become better at understanding your emotional triggers.
Employers notice all of that, and they reward these rare individuals with better salaries, higher promotions, and the chance to work in management.
You see, project managers in particular have to be pretty good at managing their emotions. Otherwise, a project will ultimately fail if no one works as a team, and this is where emotional intelligence shines.
It gives project managers the ability to put everyone on the same page by using all of what we discussed above.
2. Better Social Relationships:
Emotionally intelligent people are more “mature,” as described by a lot of people who are attracted to this quality.
They are able to handle tough conversations with ease, and they give everyone the chance to speak their mind because they’re great listeners.
When you are aware of how others articulate their thoughts and form discussions, you can provide a better opinion that can help them improve their situation.
This all comes from actively listening and adding in your input when necessary.
Emotional intelligence also enables a greater capacity for empathy, meaning you’re more able to relate to others on a deep level.
This, again, helps in forming deeper bonds, whether they’re with friends or a significant other. How does this happen? It usually has to do with putting oneself in another person’s shoes.
Emotionally intelligent people recognise that people are different, and their struggles in life are different as well. This awareness of others is what sparks real bonding and allows for building lifetime relationships.
Even when talking about family, emotionally intelligent people are more able to navigate the complexities of family feuds, history, and drama. They can handle dysfunction better through their superior emotional self-regulation.
Emotional intelligence is also a key characteristic of reliable leaders. A leader who can inspire hope, change, and self-improvement in others is someone who is high on the emotional intelligence spectrum.
3. Better Personal Life:
Psychologically, people who are more in tune with themselves can understand their inner traumas better and begin the healing process sooner. Many times, the people who are most traumatised are the ones who lack the ability to self-reflect.
This doesn’t apply when you practise emotional intelligence, as it provides you with the tools needed to examine your thoughts and feelings as they occur.
While no one can claim that it can help turn someone into a social butterfly, emotionally intelligent people can come out of their shells when they begin socialising consistently.
This has to do with motivation and discipline. Emotionally intelligent people can draw upon their intrinsic motivation to do things they’re not comfortable doing. In other words, it’s easier for them to step outside their comfort zones when the need arises.
Lastly, your ability to adapt to change improves. There’s a less likely chance of you feeling unnerved if you are unemployed for a set period of time. This is because you’ve trained yourself to look for solutions in a calm manner, free from distress.
Overall, change starts from within, and there’s no better way to effect real change than through being aware of your personality, feelings, and how they co-mingle together.
Emotional intelligence makes all of this possible.
In Conclusion:
No doubt, emotional intelligence is a key skill you need to cultivate and perfect daily. It’s a skill that enables better communication and greater productivity at work, and it opens the way towards self-healing and self-actualization.
Entire books are written about the subject. Many of them list so many more benefits than the ones we’ve outlined here. However, these bullet points are enough to turn you into a believer in the power of emotional intelligence.
Now, take action and change your life by acting on your emotionally intelligent choices!
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