Emotional Intelligence in Today's Chaotic Climate

Emotional Intelligence is defined as the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.   Today more than ever it is important to truly understand Emotional Intelligence within the work environment because, well, it is a scary time we live in. 

In some ways, business mirrors biology. As Darwin surmised, those who survive “are not the strongest or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change.”

It’s the responsibility of leaders to show empathy, unprecedented optimism, and flexibility that will lead business out of this crisis. It may all come down our ability to self-direct and problem-solve on a regular basis.  Keep in mind that this event is impacting everyone, not just you and your business. Reminding yourself that you have no idea what other people are going through will center you and make you a more generous and calmer leader.

It is also important to understand the top 5 categories of Emotional Intelligence (EQ).   These categories can go a long way to helping you understand your own EQ and how to improve it.

1. Self-awareness. The ability to recognize an emotion as it “happens” is the key to your EQ. Developing self-awareness requires tuning in to your true feelings. If you evaluate your emotions, you can manage them. The major elements of self-awareness are:

·       Emotional awareness. Your ability to recognize your own emotions and their effects.

·       Self-confidence. Sureness about your self-worth and capabilities.

2. Self-regulation. You often have little control over when you experience emotions. You can, however, have some say in how long an emotion will last by using a number of techniques to alleviate negative emotions such as anger, anxiety or depression. A few of these techniques include recasting a situation in a more positive light, taking a long walk and meditation or prayer. Self-regulation involves

·       Self-control. Managing disruptive impulses.

·       Trustworthiness. Maintaining standards of honesty and integrity.

·       Conscientiousness. Taking responsibility for your own performance.

·       Adaptability. Handling change with flexibility.

·       Innovation. Being open to new ideas.

3. Motivation. To motivate yourself for any achievement requires clear goals and a positive attitude. Although you may have a predisposition to either a positive or a negative attitude, you can with effort and practice learn to think more positively. If you catch negative thoughts as they occur, you can reframe them in more positive terms — which will help you achieve your goals. Motivation is made up of:

·       Achievement drive. Your constant striving to improve or to meet a standard of excellence.

·       Commitment. Aligning with the goals of the group or organization.

·       Initiative. Readying yourself to act on opportunities.

·       Optimism. Pursuing goals persistently despite obstacles and setbacks.

4. Empathy. The ability to recognize how people feel is important to success in your life and career. The more skillful you are at discerning the feelings behind others’ signals the better you can control the signals you send them. An empathetic person excels at:

·       Service orientation. Anticipating, recognizing and meeting clients’ needs.

·       Developing others. Sensing what others need to progress and bolstering their abilities.

·       Leveraging diversity. Cultivating opportunities through diverse people.

·       Political awareness. Reading a group’s emotional currents and power relationships.

·       Understanding others. Discerning the feelings behind the needs and wants of others.

5. Social skills. The development of good interpersonal skills is tantamount to success in your life and career. In today’s always-connected world, everyone has immediate access to technical knowledge. Thus, “people skills” are even more important now because you must possess a high EQ to better understand, empathize and negotiate with others in a global economy. Among the most useful skills are:

·       Influence. Wielding effective persuasion tactics.

·       Communication. Sending clear messages.

·       Leadership. Inspiring and guiding groups and people.

·       Change catalyst. Initiating or managing change.

·       Conflict management. Understanding, negotiating and resolving disagreements.

·       Building bonds. Nurturing instrumental relationships.

·       Collaboration and cooperation. Working with others toward shared goals.

·       Team capabilities. Creating group synergy in pursuing collective goals.

Not every leader has a high EQ.  This is a fact.  Sometimes the stress of the chaos going on around them can lead to behaviour that is unacceptable in many ways.  Taking a moment to center yourself, identify the emotion, feel it, let it go - these are ways to get past the immediate reaction that many of us have to this type of situation.  

Emotional intelligence is essential for good interpersonal communication. Some experts believe that this ability is more important in determining life success than IQ alone. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to strengthen your own social and emotional intelligence. Understanding emotions can be the key to better relationships, improved well-being, and stronger communication skills.  By taking responsibility of your mindset, to be optimistic and find solutions, you are helping yourself and others. This is a human and emotionally intelligent thing to do.