Raising our Emotional Quotient

We all have different personalities, different wants and needs, and different ways of showing our emotions. Navigating through this takes tact and cleverness – especially if we hope to succeed in life. This is where Emotional Quotient (EQ) or Emotional Intelligence (EI) becomes important.

EI is the ability to recognize your emotions, understand, and realize how your emotions affect people around us. It also involves our perception of others: when we understand how they feel, this allows us to manage relationships more effectively.

Let us look at the following five elements that defines EQ or EI.

  1. Self-Awareness – Through this one can understand his/her emotions and one feels confident – because he/she trust their intuition and don't let their emotions get out of control. They know their strengths and weaknesses, and they work on these areas so they can perform better.

  2. Self-Regulation– This is the ability to control emotions and impulses. People who self-regulate typically don't allow themselves to become too angry or jealous, and they don't make impulsive, careless decisions. They think before they act.

  3. Motivation – People with a high degree of EI are usually motivated. They're willing to defer immediate results for long-term success. They're highly productive, love a challenge, and are very effective in whatever they do.

  4. Empathy – This is perhaps the second-most important element of EI. Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand the wants, needs, and viewpoints of those around you. As a result, empathetic people are usually excellent at managing relationships, listening and relating to others. They avoid stereotyping and judging too quickly, and they live their lives in a very open, honest way.

  5. Social Skills – It's usually easy to talk to and like people with good social skills, another sign of high EI. Those with strong social skills are typically team players. Rather than focus on their own success first, they help others develop and shine. They can manage disputes, are excellent communicators, and are masters at building and maintaining relationships.

Although "regular" intelligence is important to success in life, EI plays a vital role in relating well to others and achieving your goals.Therefore, EI is an awareness of your actions and feelings – and how they affect those around you. It also means that you value others, listen to their wants and needs, and are able to empathize or identify with them on many different levels.

Thank You.