What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence isn’t quite as quantifiable as its pal Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Therein
lies the first problem – it can’t be supported with data in quite the same way as IQ. As a result of
school onwards and into our workplaces, IQ has traditionally been easier to measure and
therefore carried more weight.
What is the Importance of Emotional Intelligence?
The term ‘Emotional Intelligence’, first coined by psychologists Mayer and Salovey
(1990), refers to one’s capacity to perceive, process and regulate emotional information
accurately and effectively, both within oneself and in others and to use this information to guide
one’s thinking and actions and to influence those of others.

Emotional intelligence can lead us on the path to a fulfilled and happy life by providing
a framework through which to apply standards of intelligence to emotional responses and
understand that these responses may be logically consistent or inconsistent with particular beliefs
about emotion.

As the workplace evolves, so too does the body of research supporting that individuals
(from interns to managers) with higher EI are better equipped to work cohesively within teams,
deal with change more effectively, and manage stress – thus enabling them to more efficiently
pursue business objectives.

Goleman (1995) recognized five distinct categories of skills which form the key
characteristics of EI and proposed that, unlike one’s intelligence quotient (IQ), these categorical
skills can be learned where absent and improved upon where present.

Thus, EI, unlike its relatively fixed cousin, IQ, is instead a dynamic aspect of one’s
psyche and includes behavioral traits that, when worked upon, can yield significant benefits,
from personal happiness and well-being to elevated success in a professional context.

Why is emotional intelligence so important?

Your performance at work

  Emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of the workplace,
lead and motivate others, and excel in your career.

 In fact many companies now view emotional intelligence as being as important as

technical ability and require EQ testing before hiring.

Your physical health.

 If you’re unable to manage your stress levels, it can lead to serious health problems.

 Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the
risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and sped up the aging process.

 The first step to improving emotional intelligence is to learn how to relieve stress.

Your mental health.

 Uncontrolled stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety
and depression.

 If you are unable to understand and manage your emotions, you’ll also be open to mood
swings.

 An inability to form strong relationships can leave you feeling lonely and isolated.

Your relationships.

 By understanding your emotions and how to control them, you’re better able to express
how you feel and understand how other are feeling.

 This allows you to communicate more effectively and forge stronger relationships, both
at work and in your personal life.

 Five Categories of Emotional Intelligence (EI/EQ)

Self-awareness: the ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions and their impact on
others.

Self-awareness is the first step toward introspective self-evaluation and enables one to identify
behavioral and emotional aspects of our psychological makeup which we can then target for
change.

Emotional self-awareness is also about recognizing what motivates you and, in turn, what brings
you fulfillment.

 Self-regulation: the ability to manage one’s negative or disruptive emotions, and to adapt
to changes in circumstance. Those who are skilled in self-regulation excel in managing
conflict, adapt well to change and are more likely to take responsibility.
 Motivation: the ability to self-motivate, with a focus on achieving internal or self-
gratification as opposed to external praise or reward. Individuals who are able to motivate
themselves in this way have a tendency to be more committed and goal focused.
 Empathy: the ability to recognize and understand how others are feeling and consider
those feelings before responding in social situations. Empathy also allows an individual
to understand the dynamics that influence relationships, both personal and in the
workplace.
 Social skills: the ability to manage the emotions of others through emotional
understanding and using this to build rapport and connect with people through skills such
as active listening, verbal and nonverbal communication.

Emotional intelligence has been shown to play a meaningful role in academic success, mental
and physical health, as well as attainment in professional domains; the findings of Bar-On (1997)
suggested that people with higher EI performed better than those with lower EI in life.

In the modern, agile workplace, there is an ever-increasing emphasis from employers on the
importance of EI over academic qualifications.

The importance of EI should not go unappreciated; the ability to understand and manage your
emotions is the first step in realizing your true potential. How can we achieve meaningful
progress if we don’t recognize and acknowledge the point from where we’re starting? When
checking directions on your sat-nav, a destination is useless unless we know the origin.

Whether it be connecting with others and improving interpersonal communication, achieving

success in the workplace or social relationships, dealing with stress and improving motivation or
refining decision-making skills – emotional intelligence plays a central role in realizing success
in both personal and professional life.

Value and Benefits of Emotional Intelligence

The value and benefits of emotional intelligence are vast in terms of personal and
professional success. It is a core competency in many vocations, can support the advancement
towards academic and professional success, improve relationships, and boost communication
skills, the list goes on.

Bar-On (1997) goes so far as to suggest that people with higher EI tend to perform better
than those with lower EI in life overall, regardless of IQ. There has been much discussion
regarding the benefits of teaching EI in schools, with an emphasis on the idea that emotionally
intelligent children grow up to become emotionally intelligent adults.

Proficiency in EI is becoming a vital prerequisite in prolonged or intense areas of

‘emotional work’ such as nursing, social work, the service industry, and management roles. High
EI improves the physical and psychological health of people and encourages academic and
business performance (Bar-On & Parker, 2000).

Emotional intelligence is an integral part of forming and developing meaningful human

relationships. Schutte et al (2001) found that, over a series of studies, there were significant links
between high EI and more successful interpersonal relations. Those participants who exhibited
higher levels of EI also showed a greater propensity for empathic perspective taking, cooperation
with others, developing affectionate and more satisfying relationships as well as greater social
skills in general.
So far, we have focused on the social and psychological benefits of EI, it is important to note that
self-awareness – the ability to manage emotions and stress – and the ability to solve personal, as
well as interpersonal problems, is also significantly related to physical health.

Chronic stress and the prolonged negative effects which accompany it such as anger,
depression, and anxiety can precipitate the onset and progression of hypertension, heart
problems, and diabetes; increase susceptibility to viruses, and infections; delay healing of
wounds and injuries; and exacerbate conditions such as arthritis and atherosclerosis (Bar-On,
2006, Black &Garbutt, 2002).

The value of EI is immense; developing emotional intelligence encourages many positive

traits, from resilience to communication, motivation to stress management, all of which can be
seen as conducive to effectively achieving personal, physical and occupational health, and
success.

Self-Management, Self-Regulation, and EQ

While it’s commonly accepted that our emotions are driven by impulses over which we
have little-to-no control, we do have the capacity for self-management and self-regulation; the
ability to manage – if not control – the resultant emotions and our reactions thereto.

Consider the calm and rational pilot despite the aircraft’s landing gear being jammed or
the surgeon who carries on with their duties despite losing a patient.

This form of self-regulation builds on the basis of self-awareness and is an integral part
of becoming emotionally intelligent by exercising the capacity to liberate ourselves from
impulse-driven reaction (Goleman, 1995).

Self-management builds on this further and allows an individual to use knowledge about
their emotions to better manage them in order to self-motivate and to create positive social
interactions.

Leaders with an aptitude for self-regulation are far less likely to be aggressively
confrontational and make snap decisions. Self-regulation and self-management do not pertain to
the absence of anger; rather it’s about remaining in control of your emotions and not allowing
your actions to be emotion-driven. In instances of negative emotions such as anger, EI can help
identify what you are feeling and determine the cause of the emotion through reflection and self-
analysis allowing one to respond in a rational manner.

Self-regulation is critical in relation to other facets of EI and can be developed from early
childhood, adolescence and throughout adulthood. Mastering self-management allows us the
opportunity to open the door to the other beneficial aspects of EI while in the absence of self-
regulation other competencies, such as effective communication and conflict management, are
challenging.

The good news is that it’s never too late to embark on self-management and regulation
training; the potential benefits are numerous and should not be underestimated.

The skills enabled through the development of self-regulation can aid success for (but by no
means limited to) counselors, psychotherapists, small business owners, managers, and
executives.

Those with stronger skills in this area are less likely to become angry or exhibit stress
while being more likely to respond calmly to negative environments, harness personal needs in
order to achieve goals and remain motivated.

Resilience and EQ

Emotional intelligence is undoubtedly a valuable tool to utilize in the face of adversity; it

has the potential to enhance not only leadership abilities and teamwork effectiveness but also
personal resilience.

Focusing on the impact of EI on one’s resilience, that is, one’s ability to cope with
stressful conditions, research suggests that those who display higher levels of emotional
intelligence are less likely to succumb to the negative impacts of stressors.
 In the context of a leadership role, one might expect increased responsibility to coincide
with elevated potential stressors, highlighting the importance of strong EI for those in
leadership or management positions.

An investigation into the relationship between emotional intelligence and the stress
process found that participants who displayed higher levels of EI were less likely to be
negatively impacted by the presence of stressors. Participants completed an ability-based test of
EI before rating the subjectively perceived threat level posed by two Sstressors; they then self-
reported their emotional reaction to said stressors and were also subjected to physiological stress-
response tests in order to assess their response.