How Do Emotionally Intelligent People Operate?

My own generation?and even the next one was raised?believing that high?IQ ?was a surefire predictor of success. However, studies have found that while “smarts” can help?one succeed in business ventures or help?land good jobs, strong?Emotional Intelligence ?(EI) for?Emotional?Quotient?(EQ)?is, oftentimes, what helps?us?keep it.

Origin of EI

Often referred to as “EI” or “EQ,” the term “Emotional Intelligence” has become a part of the lexicon thanks to?Daniel?Goleman ’s groundbreaking book: “Working with Emotional Intelligence ”, first published in 1995 which forever changed the paradigm of how success is predicted. A plethora of books and articles on EQ, by Goleman and other authors, have followed – each bringing to light how the management of our emotions impacts our careers and determines overall success in our lives.

In the?10th?anniversary edition of his bestseller?Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ ?(2005), author?Daniel Goleman ?quotes a search firm executive who says,?“CEO’s are hired for their intellect and business expertise – and fired for a lack of emotional intelligence.”

Read on for?5?signs of an emotionally intelligent person:

1. Embrace?Change?

Emotionally?intelligent people?don’t fear change ?because they have a fixed sense of self that stays constant in?all?circumstances. Instead, they?keep looking for new avenues and?pursue new opportunities to grow.?At times, they are impatient too.?

Change is an inevitable part of life.?People resist change because they are afraid of the unseen. Our brains are hardwired to preserve routine, but we?have to?overcome these instincts if we want to evolve and experience as?much as possible.

Suggested Reading:?Click here

2. Empathy & Compassion?

When people?are connected with?their own emotions, they’re better able to relate to others. They can imagine how different situations might feel and provide support accordingly.?

Emotionally intelligent people can read others too.?They observe social and emotional cues and see past simply what is said to what someone might be experiencing underneath. They care about how their actions affect other people,?and they’re able to make predictions to avoid causing hurt.?

Suggested Reading:?Click here ?and?here

3. Receptive to?Feedback

Let’s pause here and think for a while as how do?we?respond to constructive criticism? Are?we?able to listen as objectively as possible and reflect on other people’s perspectives? Or does anything but enthusiastic approval feel like an attack? If?it’s the latter, this is a sign that?one?need?still?to work on?his/her?EI.??

Why? Because throughout life,?we?will be assessed in different ways by different people.?Our role is to measure the value of this feedback and?incorporate the advice?that’s useful to us . If?we’re too stubborn and sensitive to accept criticism, we are bound to?miss?the bus i.e.?vital opportunities to improve.?

Suggested Reading:?Click here

4. Balanced lives

Emotionally intelligent people look for balance. They understand that a singular focus on one aspect of their lives leads to neglecting?family, friends and social commitments.?They?also?look after themselves because they know that they can’t achieve their goals unless they’re healthy and happy.?

Let’s learn to regain control over our work behavior. One way to do this is by setting clear rules for how many hours?one needs to?work each day. If?we?have trouble ‘switching off’,?we?might want to stop working a few hours before?we?retire for bed. Indulge in the activities that lighten up our mood better, things that?makes us relaxed?i.e. seeing friends, watching a movie or reading a book can also help?us?psychologically detach from work.

Suggested Reading:?Click here

5. Love?to learn

Alvin Toffler ?rightly said that?The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn. ?We all need?to learn?to improve our performance in our current roles, prepare for future roles, develop our current expertise and broaden our horizon for future. This can only happen if we continue to keep abreast ourselves on what is happening around us i.e., our business, our industry, locally and globally.

For?an EI person, life is full of learning opportunities. They’re?super observant and?naturally curious about people and the world around them, and they take action to satisfy their curiosity.?Learning is a vulnerable activity because it necessitates admitting a degree of ignorance. Emotionally intelligent people aren’t controlled by their ego; they can admit gaps in their knowledge. They’re more interested in filling those gaps than pretending they don’t exist.

Suggested Reading:?Click here

Final Word?

We?may feel?that we’re strong in many EQ competencies, but?at the same time we should be aware of our?weaknesses as well. The good news is that our EQ score improves as?we?address those weaknesses.?Goleman ?says: "It starts with noticing a low EQ habit; having a desire to change it; then figuring a way to counter the habit and put that new behaviour into practice".

To sum up,?Emotional intelligence is the ability to navigate the murky world of emotions, and possessing it allows?us?to harness our emotions?for?positive results. This trait is an asset in the workplace, but it will also empower?us?to live a better, more balanced life.?

About the?Author

Muhammad Sajwani ?is the Founder and Managing Director of?Evolve HR ?which aims at transforming, enriching and evolving Human Capital of Pakistan, Evolve HR thrives in challenging assumptions that hinder organisational aspirations, by creating innovative solutions that yield maximum impact, scalability & benefit to a wider base of stakeholders.?As a Business Coach and Organisational Consultant, Sajwani knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.

Also, follow me on?Twitter ?and?Instagram