Have you heard of this term before? What is Emotional intelligence!
A recent study tested over 500,000 people to explore the role emotions play in daily living. They asked how people see themselves versus what others see, and they observed how various choices affect personal and professional success.
Only 36% of the people tested were able to accurately identify their emotions as they happened. This means that two thirds of us are typically controlled by our emotions and are not yet skilled at spotting them and using them to our benefit.
Consider the range of emotions people express, is it any wonder they can get the better of us? We have so many words to describe the feelings that surface in life, yet all emotions are derivations of five core feelings. They are happiness, sadness, anger, fear and ashamed.
As you move through your daily routine whether your working, spending time with family or friends, eating, exercising, relaxing or even sleeping you are subject to a constant stream of emotions. It is easy to forget that we have emotional reactions to almost everything that happens in our lives, whether we notice them or not. The complexity of these emotions is revealed in their varying degrees of intensity.
Our brains are hard wired to feel emotions. The emotion we feel depends on the situation, we have no choice, we will feel an emotion and the situation will determine the intensity of those emotions.
Since our brains are wired to make us emotional creatures, your first reaction will always be an emotional one. You have no control over this part of the process. You do control the thoughts that follow an emotion and you have a great deal of say in how you react to an emotion as long as you are aware of it.
Emotional Intelligence is your ability to recognise and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behaviour and relationships.
Emotional Intelligence is the “something in each of us” that is intangible. It affects how we manage behaviour, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.
How much of an impact does EQ have on your professional success? The short answer is a lot. It’s a powerful way to focus your energy in one direction with a tremendous result. Your EQ is the foundation for a host of critical skills it impacts most everything you say, and do each day. EQ is critical to success that it accounts for 58% of performance in all types of jobs.
It’s the single biggest predictor of performance in the workplace and the strongest driver of leadership and personal excellence.
In order to be successful and fulfilled you must learn to maximise your EQ skills. Those who employ a unique blend of reason and feeling achieve the greater results.
To truly improve your ability in the four emotional intelligence skills you need to better understand each skill what it looks like in action.
Self-Awareness – Self Management
Social Awareness – Relationship Management
The top two skills are more about you. The bottom two skills are more about how you are with other people.