Soft skills: Emotional Intelligence

Among the first things that come to the mind of an employer when they look at their candidates’ list is the level of emotional intelligence of each and every one of them.

It’s a very important yet very underestimated skill that you should all know about, study, acquire, and develop over time as it takes your personal and professional lives to a whole new level. It makes you mature enough to make the best of any bad situation. In today’s article, we will be discussing all the things that you need to know about emotional intelligence and giving you a few valuable pieces of advice to help you acquire and improve this very helpful soft skill.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, also referred to as "EQ," is the ability to interpret, receive, demonstrate, use, and control emotions at any given time. It’s the ability to look at that man sitting in front of you on the bus and understand what they are going through by only looking at them. It’s the ability to understand when one of your colleagues is being aggressive or a bit cold during the workday because you know it’s only the stress talking and not them. It’s very humbling as it gives you a lot of insight into your own limitations and mortality, what you can and can’t be, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and the acceptance and acknowledgment of your imperfections along with the people around you. In short, you become more aware and considerate when you unlock your emotional intelligence skills.

Emotional intelligence is mainly made of five ingredients, according to the author and psychologist Daniel Goleman, let’s mention them quickly.

1. Self-Awareness:

Self-awareness has many different meanings and interpretations, depending on the context. In our context, self-awareness is the ability to correctly identify your emotions, understand why you react, feel, and behave the way you do, and acknowledge that your actions have an impact on others.

2. Self-Regulation:

The ability to manage your emotions until you can express and demonstrate them at the right time.

3. Empathy:

Empathy makes you understand and process what other people are experiencing and respond to them appropriately and kindly.

4. Motivation:

People who have good emotional intelligence aren’t motivated solely by money and success; their main source of motivation is their will to achieve their goals, hopes, and dreams.

5. Social Skills:

Social skills are the cherry on top of emotional intelligence, as they give you the ability to respond to people exactly the way you should when you should.

What Are the Benefits of Having Emotional Intelligence?

A few of the many benefits of having strong emotional intelligence are:

1. It Makes You a Better Team Player:

When members of a team are emotionally intelligent, they are great at working together. In addition to good communication, trust, and respect, they value the input of one another. Suggestions are responded to positively and productively when they are made.

2. One of the Main Components of a Strong Leader:

The best leaders understand people; they know what motivates them, how to influence them, and what inspires them. Being a brilliant leader and guiding your team in the right direction requires high emotional intelligence.

3. Makes You a Better Negotiator:

If you have high emotional intelligence, no conversation is tough anymore. Having difficult conversations with someone can trigger all kinds of emotions, whether that person is an angry friend, a frustrated colleague, or a dissatisfied customer. Through an emotional connection with the other person, you can resolve those conversations if you have the right skills.

How to Improve Emotional Intelligence?

There are many ways and things that you can practice on your way to emotional intelligence perfection; let’s mention some of them.

1. Be Fully Aware of Your Own Emotions:

You have to stop and ask yourself a few questions in order to achieve that kind of awareness. How do you feel right now? Are you able to name each and every one of your feelings? How do you usually feel in stressful situations? What is your preferred reaction or response in these situations? Have you thought about your response? Can you take a moment to think about it? The first step toward emotional intelligence is to name your feelings and temper your reactions.

2. Read More Often:

Empathy can be improved by reading literature with complex characters. In addition to gaining insight into other people's thoughts, motivations, and actions, reading stories may also help improve our level of social awareness and self-regulation. It’s a great way to practice reflecting on others’ perspectives and insights.

3. Practice Active Listening:

Being attentive is the first step toward understanding what other people are feeling. You should pay more attention to both verbal and non-verbal communication from others. It is possible to convey a great deal of meaning through body language. Consider the different factors that might contribute to someone's own feelings and when you feel that they are experiencing a certain emotion.

4. Avoid Being Self-Centered:

Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived for others is worth living.” Take a few moments each day to reflect on this sentence and all the beautiful meaning it holds. The first thing about having emotional intelligence is being able to feel for others. You can never do that if you feel like the whole universe is revolving around you. Every person you meet matters and has their own storyline. So, in short, you’re not the protagonist of the world; you’re only the protagonist of your own story.

Bottom Line:

In a world full of difficulties and hardships, we should be more empathetic, considerate, flexible, and, overall, more kind to each other. Practicing and developing your EQ makes you a more mature person and opens your eyes to a whole new perspective you have never considered before. This way, you will be able to see the way ahead of you clearly, which will improve both your personal and career lives.