Becoming an Emotionally Intelligent Consultant from a Book-Smart Consultant

Being the most clever person in the room isn’t quite as important as we once thought, and many of those Silicon Valley dropouts have also proven that. Now let's dive into the interesting realm of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and why it should be one of the most important assets of a champion consultant.

The difference between IQ & EI

IQ tests date back to the days when everyone was chasing the misleading "genius" score on the intelligent scale. But it turns out that your IQ can only get you so far. EI (Emotional Intelligence) is much deeper. It involves an acute self-awareness where you can recognize your emotions and gives you the introspection to know how to deal with these emotions. Besides, EI helps with self-regulation, social skills, empathy and motivation. In general, you can go to a university and learn things with only a high IQ. Likewise, you can do the same thing with a high EI. However, a high EI enables you to apply the things you learned in reality and easily adapt to the uniqueness of situations.

“We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel.” – Marshall B. Rosenberg

How to test your EI

For obvious reasons, the EI test is very different from an IQ test. The most recommended test for this is called the ESCI (Emotional and Social Competence Inventory) 360, and it gives the vast information on the emotional intelligence of an individual. It surely helps with providing an overview of an individual’s emotional behavior, and the characteristics that might distinguish them one from an average consultant. It also offers valuable feedback and helps with your development by emphasizing on certain capabilities. In short, it mainly focuses on the best an individual has to offer.

Some of the highlights of the test include:

• Adaptability
• Emotional self-awareness
• Emotional self-control
• Empathy
• Teamwork
• Achievement orientation
• Organizational awareness
• Conflict management
• Positive outlook
• Influence
• Coaching & mentoring skills

Everyone can agree that these are some of the most important qualities needed when becoming a champion consultant.

Why is it so important?

The points mentioned above should have already given you a clue. However, studies have also shown that individuals with a high EI are more likely to be successful in both their professional and personal lives. Let's dive into more details of EI and its advantages below:

Positive communication

It has been proven that people with high emotional intelligence have excellent communication skills when expressing or listening to other ideas. On top of that, individuals with the EI communication advantage get much more positivity in terms of their responses. All consultants know that it is absolutely essential within a company to ensure that all team members –from the bottom floor to the CEO– feel their voices heard. Working constructively with such a diverse range of people requires very specific communication skills, and these skills are directly linked to someone’s EI levels.

The tough convos

Imagine this: You’re in a meeting with seniors that wonder why their business is left behind their competitors. It’s 2023 and their business still doesn't have a website. It's pretty clear that the company is stuck in its own way somewhere. As a consultant, you're likely to attend meetings with team members who are quite tired of such situations. A consultant with a high EI probably wouldn’t be led by their emotions and would be able to communicate clearly in such tough conversations with only the facts in their mind, which leads them to solutions perfectly.

Adaptation is the key

One of the key characteristics of an emotionally intelligent consultant at a leadership level is that their ability to adapt to change. For example, if a consultant has been part of a company that's been operating in the same way for the last 20 years, it's hard to present anything innovative within these operational boundaries. In such cases, a consultant with unique, professional and objective perspectives is an invaluable resource for any organization.

How to improve your EI?

Luckily, the level of EI can be improved over time with certain activities. Here are some basic examples of these ways:

First step: Acknowledge!

The first step in improving emotional intelligence is the basic acknowledgment of your own emotions. Accept yourself, connect with yourself, understand your own being, and recognize yourself as a whole.

Constructive criticism

People with high EI highly value feedback. They are self-aware and know that they cannot improve if they do not listen to the constructive criticism of others.

Read

By reading, we’re not just talking about gaining knowledge (although that’s never a bad idea), we're talking about the level of empathy that reading evokes. Having empathy for friends, clients and colleagues will be a huge advantage for consultants. Therefore, when it comes to emotional intelligence improvement, reading will definitely be one of things you might start with.?

In summary, being a book-smart consultant will get you somewhere. But if you boost your abilities with emotional intelligence, you will undoubtedly become a top-tier, champion consultant very soon!

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