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Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace 

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Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace 

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Emotional intelligence in the workplace is often underestimated but emerges as a critical factor for organizational success. Beyond strategies and metrics, a company's essence lies in its people - their emotions, interactions, and connections. Emotional intelligence for employees, which is the ability to understand and manage emotions, bridges the gap between professional tasks and team harmony.

This article covers the key components of emotional intelligence, its importance at work, personal methods to display emotional intelligence, and ways leaders can cultivate an emotionally attuned workforce.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence in the workplace encompasses four key components: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills.

1. Self-Awareness

Self-awareness involves understanding one's emotions and the way they influence decisions. Intuition, sometimes called a "gut feeling", is connected to self-awareness. It's those subtle hunches that often turn out to be right, guiding us to make good choices.

Employee Example: You are in a team meeting discussing a new project. As the conversation progresses, you start feeling uneasy. Your self-awareness kicks in, allowing you to recognize that their discomfort stems from the fact that the project's direction contradicts your values. This awareness prompts you to address your concerns in a constructive manner, contributing to a more aligned and effective project plan.

2. Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is the ability to manage one's emotions and thoughts despite external circumstances. This skill allows you to stay composed and adapt to various circumstances, even when facing difficult emotions like anger or anxiety.

Employee Example: You're stuck in traffic on the way to an important work event. Frustration begins building up, but you consciously regulate your emotions. Instead of succumbing to anger, you remind yourself that getting upset won't change the situation. You maintain a calm demeanor, ensuring that your emotions don't spill over and affect your interactions when you arrive at the event.

3. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to comprehend and connect with someone else's situation, also known as "putting yourself in their shoes". It includes sharing another's feelings even if they haven't been through the same experience while listening attentively and offering comfort. Empathy allows employees to comprehend and connect with others' situations, providing a foundation for effective teamwork.

Employee Example: You're at a social gathering and notice a colleague appears distant and sad despite their attempts to smile. Drawing on your empathetic abilities, you approach them and engage in a genuine conversation. Through active listening, you uncover that your colleague is dealing with a personal challenge. Your empathetic response helps them feel understood and supported.

4. Social Skills

Social skills embody all aspects of building and maintaining healthy relationships, including teamwork, conflict resolution, communication, and problem-solving. It also involves navigating diverse social situations with skill, such as reading the room, adapting the approach based on the situation, and knowing when to step forward or take a step back.

Employee Example: The team is facing a heated disagreement about the allocation of resources for different projects. You use humor to defuse the tension. By making a lighthearted comment that acknowledges the stress everyone is feeling, you create a more relaxed atmosphere and open up space for collaborative problem-solving.

Why Emotional Intelligence At Work Is Important

Emotional intelligence in the workplace is not just a feel-good factor; it's a critical component for workplace success. While logic and efficiency are considered top priorities in the workplace, emotional intelligence deserves recognition as a vital component of organizational success as well. Contrary to the notion that personal connections hinder productivity, emotional intelligence enhances it by fostering healthier interactions and improved decision-making.

Enhancing Relationships & Collaboration

Personal relationships are often driven by love, shared history, or hobbies, but these factors are not sources of motivation for fostering collaboration and camaraderie in the workplace. Emotional intelligence for employees bridges this gap, providing the ability to understand and resonate with colleagues' emotions. This, in turn, leads to a more productive and positive work environment.

Effective Conflict Resolution

Conflict is inevitable in any workplace. Emotional intelligence helps employees in managing conflicts with empathy and understanding, as well as identifying unspoken concerns. This paves the way for fair and considerate solutions that satisfy all parties involved.

Adapting To Change

The modern workplace is dynamic and constantly evolving. Employees with high emotional intelligence can easily manage stress from shifts in their roles or the company's direction, maintaining resilience and composure.

Elevating Leadership

Leaders with emotional intelligence can inspire and motivate their teams authentically. By understanding the motivations and concerns of their team members, they can tailor their approach and communication for optimal results.

Boosting Job Satisfaction

Emotional intelligence in the workplace has been linked to job satisfaction across various industries. Individuals with high emotional intelligence experience greater emotional well-being and positivity, reducing the chances of burnout and fostering a stronger commitment to their work.

Driving Performance

Research indicates that emotional intelligence is a key predictor of job performance, accounting for 58% of success across all job types. Ninety percent of top performers exhibit high levels of emotional intelligence, underscoring its impact on decision-making, relationship-building, and stress management.

Counteracting Groupthink

Emotional intelligence empowers individuals to voice diverse perspectives, minimizing the pitfalls of groupthink. It encourages an inclusive environment where a range of ideas are considered, leading to more innovative solutions.

Nurturing Personal Growth

Individuals with high emotional intelligence are more likely to tap into their professional potential. They approach challenges with confidence, remain open to learning, and take proactive steps to enhance their skills.

How To Display Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace

Emotional intelligence is a skill to develop and apply in the workplace to enhance collaboration, communication, and effectiveness. There are various ways employees and leaders can practice emotional intelligence in the workplace.

Recognize & Understand Your Emotions

The foundation of emotional intelligence for employees is built in recognizing and understanding one's own emotions. Begin with an inward journey, asking questions like:

How am I feeling about my work or colleagues?

How am I feeling about my personal life and relationships?

How are these emotions influencing my behavior in the workplace?

Am I allowing negative emotions to impact my performance or interactions with others?

By acknowledging your feelings, you can better control how they affect your interactions and decisions.

Respond, Don't React

Emotionally intelligent employees resist impulsive reactions during conflicts or disagreements. Instead of immediately reacting, take a moment to understand your emotions and choose a composed approach. Responding thoughtfully fosters a more productive resolution and prevents escalating tensions.

Practice Active Listening

Enhance emotional intelligence at work by engaging in active listening. Pay attention to nonverbal cues, tone, and expressions to grasp the emotions behind the words. This practice prevents misunderstandings, shows respect, and empowers you to respond more effectively.

Cultivate Flexibility

Emotional intelligence for employees involves adaptability. Be open to shifting plans or approaches when necessary, recognizing that rigid adherence to a plan can hinder progress. Flexibility enables you to navigate change and make agile decisions.

Embrace Empathy

Understand the perspectives of others by putting yourself in their shoes. Empathy enables employees to connect emotionally leading to more authentic interactions and an improved ability to work harmoniously.

Champion Growth & Learning

Remember that strengthening emotional intelligence requires practice. Strive to continuously improve your emotional awareness, adaptability, and interpersonal skills. Learning from experiences and refining your emotional intelligence yields long-term benefits.

How To Cultivate Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace As A Leader

In addition to refining the skills mentioned above, leaders are integral in cultivating emotional intelligence across the entire organizational landscape.

Lead By Example

It's vital for leaders to showcase emotional intelligence in the workplace through their actions and decisions. They should model the behavior they expect from their team, and create an atmosphere that values emotional well-being, empathy, and open communication.

Provide Training & Resources

Invest in employee emotional intelligence development at work. Offer emotional intelligence training and resources that enhance:

Emotional awareness

Effective communication and conflict resolution

Stress management

Foster Open Communication

Create an emotionally intelligent work environment where employees feel safe sharing their feelings, opinions, and concerns. This allows leaders to address concerns and resolve issues, preventing resentment and maintaining a healthier work dynamic.

Feedback can be facilitated through one-on-one check-ins and digital platforms. Constructive feedback has the intention of helping colleagues grow, rather than criticizing or placing blame. This should always be a two-way dialogue that promotes improvement and growth.

Encourage Employee Autonomy

Empower employees to take initiative and make their own decisions when possible. Encourage them to voice their opinions and ideas, demonstrating trust in their personal emotional intelligence and capabilities.

Respect Work-Life Boundaries

Recognize that upholding personal and professional boundaries is vital. While building relationships is important, it's essential to strike a balance that maintains a professional demeanor and prevents overstepping.

5 Initiatives & Training Resources For Emotional Intelligence At Work

Leaders should allocate resources and initiatives toward enhancing emotional intelligence in the workplace, both for themselves and their employees. This investment not only contributes to their personal growth but also fosters a more emotionally attuned and harmonious work culture.

1. Emotional Intelligence Assessment

Emotional intelligence tests offer employees insights into their competencies and opportunities for growth. It also helps managers understand their team's strengths and weaknesses. This facilitates targeted skill development and the adjustment of management approaches to foster effective employee interactions.

2. Wellness Challenges

Effective stress management is a key component of emotional intelligence, allowing individuals to make informed decisions and maintain productive work relationships in times of stress or within high-pressure environments. A wellness initiative, such as our Stress Less challenge, can help employees develop a variety of techniques to manage and cope with stress in healthy ways.

3. Books

Several books can deepen employees' and leaders' understanding of emotional intelligence while learning practical techniques, such as:

4. Webinars

Webinars offer a convenient and engaging way for employees to learn about emotional intelligence. Through interactive discussions and expert insights, participants can gain a deeper understanding of this skill's significance and practical applications. From exploring real-world case studies to engaging in collaborative exercises, webinars provide a dynamic space to develop crucial abilities such as effective communication and conflict resolution.

5. Coaching & Mentoring

One-on-one coaching or mentoring sessions provide personalized guidance for improving employee emotional intelligence. These professionals can help employees reflect on their emotions, provide feedback, and offer strategies to manage emotions effectively in various workplace situations.

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Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace | Wellable

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Unlock organizational success with emotional intelligence: the key to enhanced team harmony and effective interpersonal relationships.

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Facial expressions are a universal language of emotion. How well do you read other people?

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Do You Lead with Emotional Intelligence Quiz

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Do You Lead with Emotional Intelligence Quiz

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Quiz Yourself: Do You Lead with Emotional Intelligence?

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Rate yourself on five key dimensions, and see how you compare with others.

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The Global Emotional Intelligence Test uses 40 questions which are derived from, the Global instrument, which contains 158 items. These are based on Goleman's four quadrant Emotional Intelligence Competency Model (2002). Click EI Capability Assessment here for more details. Short EI quizzes such as this are meant to be fun, and to give you a guide to which EI areas you are doing well in and those which perhaps you need to focus on for development.

This Test, is a forced-choice psychological test which requires you to choose Instructions for the FREE EI Test one statement in each pair of statements that describes you best. For each pair of statements, select the statement that best applies to you. Do not over-analyse the questions, or try to think of "exceptions to the rule." Be spontaneous and choose the statement that comes closest to the way you are.

Occasionally there will be questions that ask you to make a close call between two choices. This is because the Test is trying to distinguish between specific areas. If a question is very close and you can't decide which statement applies to you best, you can come back to it after you have completed the other questions.

The Test usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. At the end of the test, click on the Score Test button, and wait for the computer to generate an EI profile of your scores. If you have answered honestly and accurately, your scores will reflect your capability level within each of the EI quadrants.

We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the results of this Test - only that it can help you begin your journey of self-development!

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Emotional Intelligence Test - Global Leadership Foundation

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Free emotional intelligence test developed by Global Leadership Foundation

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Improving Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Expert Guide

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Using these 4 key skills, you can improve your emotional intelligence and increase your success at work, school, and in your relationships.

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Virtual EI (Emotional Intelligence Series)

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Top 11 Signs of High Emotional Intelligence: Explained

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Top 11 Signs of High Emotional Intelligence: Explained

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What's the difference between an executive who maintains composure during stressful times versus one who flies off the handle or melts down? It's high emotional intelligence.

The characteristics of emotional intelligence are found in leading executives, Navy Seals, politicians, counselors, and other roles that demand effective self-management, an understanding of other people, and excellent interpersonal skills.

Improving emotional intelligence traits is one of the best things that anyone who wants to advance their career, increase their net worth, and improve their personal life can do.

Someone with characteristics of emotional intelligence is skilled at navigating social environments, building relationships, handling interpersonal interactions, and coping with difficulties.

These traits make them good team players, communicators, and conflict resolvers.

Emotional intelligence traits are soft skills that can go unnoticed unless you know what signs to look for. These characteristics work as the building blocks of social skills and competence.

Signs of high emotional intelligence can be found by looking for areas of self and social mastery.

Active emotional management is a strong sign of high emotional intelligence. Emotional awareness is one of the fundamental characteristics of emotional intelligence and this trait can be built on to master traits like emotional resilience and emotional management.

A person with high emotional intelligence can easily and effectively manage emotions, both their own and other people's.

Do you remain composed when under pressure? Do you actively manage your stress levels? Can you detect and prevent a budding conflict? Do you have self-control? If so, you may have strong emotional intelligence traits related to awareness and management. These are fundamental skills that can be built on further.

Emotional intelligence traits are found in top business leaders, top performers, and career outliers. But it's also found in those drawn towards compassionate fields of work, like therapy and care fields. And it's found in those who have rich, rewarding, and fulfilling social lives and lasting friendships.

People with emotional intelligence traits are empathetic, tuned in, and perceptive. They have high levels of emotional awareness, self-control, and situational skill.

These emotional intelligence traits help them perceive, understand, use, and manage emotions in their personal lives, careers, and other situations.

Emotional intelligence trains run the gamut. There are many signs of emotional intelligence and ways to approach it. These can be looked at as personality traits, character traits, emotional states, habits, behaviors, and skills.

Here are seven characteristics of emotional intelligence that have been observed in a wide range of people.

1. Emotional Resilience: emotional fortitude, the ability to recover from personal setbacks and manage negative emotional experiences.

2. Emotional regulation: the ability and willingness to manage, regulate, and control one's own emotions.

3. Self-awareness: awareness of one's emotional state and nature.

4. Social awareness: awareness of other people's emotions, behaviors, needs, and psychology.

5. Communication: excellent communication that's appropriate for the situation and people.

6. Interpersonal skills: skillful in social situations and personal interactions.

7. Conflict managemen t: socially aware and agile enough to detect, mitigate, and resolve conflicts

Someone with very high emotional intelligence will have such interpersonal mastery that they become influential within a social environment. These people can be influential without being designated authority figures, such as supervisors or managers.

This sign of high emotional intelligence can look like popularity, but it's more connected to being someone who is respected, liked, valued, and looked up to.

Social leadership is another sign of high emotional intelligence. Effective leadership always requires strong soft and social skills, which are built on emotional intelligence.

Leaders must understand human nature and be competent in dealing with it.

Armed forces around the world focus on building emotional intelligence traits in their members.

Are you familiar with the etiquette and manners refrain that being a gracious guest is just as important as being a wonderful host?

The same applies to being a great team player. It's just as important for team members to have characteristics of emotional intelligence as it is for leadership.

Being a good team player often requires us to take a step back, act with humility, go without credit, and work well with a range of personalities and communication styles.

High-performing teams all feature emotionally intelligent members.

Good communication is an emotional intelligence trait. People with even higher emotional intelligence are able to communicate with others in a heartfelt way.

This requires drawing from emotional awareness and resilience skills.

Some other signs of high emotional intelligence are conflict avoidance, management, and resolution skills.

People with these traits have strong emotional awareness, management, and resilience skills. They can perceive conflict, understand what's going on, and effectively work to resolve it, even in emotionally volatile situations.

They can also manage their own emotions to stay calm and in control while the conflict is active, and then effectively decompress and alleviate stress when it's over.

Someone with high emotional intelligence will demonstrate certain traits and characteristics. These are varied but can be detected in their personal lives, relationships, and social interactions.

Here are eleven you can look for. Some are basic soft skills while others describe how emotionally intelligent people behave and relate with others.

Emotional intelligence begins with emotional awareness - and self-awareness is the first form that most people develop.

People who have mastered this trait are highly aware of their own emotions, behaviors, responses, triggers, and patterns. These people are aware of their emotional state at the moment and can keep a check on themselves.

Self-awareness grows into self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is first built as we begin to reflect on ourselves and our personal characteristics, traits, habits, and patterns. We then form a deeper awareness of who we are as human beings, including our strengths, weaknesses, values, and level of integrity.

Self-knowledge can be challenging, emotionally confronting, and end up uncovering things we'd rather not acknowledge. Facing this requires high levels of authenticity, honesty, and self-regulation.

People who can accurately assess themselves are highly emotionally intelligent.

Part of this requires social awareness and how perceptive we are of social cues, body language, and other forms of communication. But it also requires us to be willing to consider someone else's interests.

Impulse control is a sign of high emotional intelligence and its essential for modern success. It's an advanced trait that involves your ability to control, regulate, and manage your emotions, impulses, and behavior.

People with good impulse control can perform better in social environments, avoid awkward situations, delay gratification, improve decision-making, manage emotional triggers, and maintain emotional balance.

Thoughts are tricky little things that can seem to flit in and out of our minds without our control. People with strong emotional intelligence have learned how to exert control over their trains of thought and mental states.

This trait influences self-regulation. It can be difficult to build but it always pays off.

Someone with good emotional intelligence traits doesn't just spout off. They're able to pause, reflect, and compose themselves.

This involves checking our emotions and impulsive reactions and becoming aware of any emotional triggers. It also involves being emotionally aware of other people.

Emotionally intelligent people can and do apologize for their mistakes. Their apologies are sincere, heartfelt, and meaningful - not dismissive, fake, or filled with gaslighting.

Apologizing and meaning it requires empathy, self-awareness, courage, confidence, and maturity. There can be difficult emotions to cope with as you swallow your pride, acknowledge errors, and admit them to other people.

Personal authenticity is one characteristic of emotional intelligent people. Authenticity begins with self-awareness and self-understanding.

These people must be open, genuine, and true to themselves. And they need the fortitude to withstand personal vulnerability.

An emotionally intelligent person offers constructive feedback and is open to receiving feedback from others.

Feedback is a tricky thing. Performance-related communication is essential for success, but it can be very sensitive and personal. Providing productive feedback is a learned skill and a sign of personal generosity.

Those who are emotionally intelligent understand how to give constructive feedback and are willing to do so. They are willing to hear from others and understand how to manage emotions when the feedback is negative, harsh, and non-constructive.

Emotional intelligence is linked to being difficult to offend and having a thicker skin. One reason why is that someone who is aware of other people's emotions and psychology understands when not to take things personally.

Another reason is that people with high EQ are emotionally stable, grounded, and self-confident. Plus, emotional intelligence brings increased situational awareness, impulse control, and social navigational skills.

Someone with high EQ might decide that someone else's poor behavior isn't worth their time and may choose to redirect their energy elsewhere.

Emotional intelligence traits like emotional awareness, resilience, and self-regulation lead to adaptability. Adaptability comes into play in relational situations and when handling environmental changes.

These people can adapt their social approaches to suit other people's needs. They adjust to changes better and understand how to respond to new environments.

Adaptability is a critical characteristic of emotional intelligence for those in fast-paced careers.

The characteristics of emotional intelligence allow for greater self-control and social skill. These traits are critical for personal and professional success.

Technical proficiency, knowledge, and professional competence are crucial. Hard skills get you in the door and give employers or clients a reason to keep you around.

But high emotional intelligence is what creates outliers, leaders, influencers, and authority figures, setting them aside from their technically skilled but socially mediocre peers.

Emotional intelligence is the reason why people with average IQs outperform those with the highest IQs 70% of the time. It's the strongest predictor of performance and can explain 58% of success in all job types. And people with high EQ make around than people with low EQ.

Shoring up your emotional intelligence traits will put you on the path to higher levels of accomplishment, social fulfillment, and personal wellness.

Maven has courses dedicated to high emotional intelligence traits that are essential for career success, professional advancement, and leadership.

C. Jeremy Jameson is a retired U.S. Navy Flight Officer, Leadership Coach & HeartMath Certified Mentor who teaches managers how to provide high EQ leadership while preserving energy levels and mindful well-being.

Satish Mummareddy draws from his project management leadership experience at Meta, Yelp, and Yahoo to teach you how to thrive in organizational dynamics and politics.

Hema Vyas is a psychologist teaching how to use heart-based intelligence for authentic, impactful, and purposeful leadership.

Sign up for a Maven course and start up-leveling your way to higher emotional intelligence. If your employer offers an L&D or education budget, you can expense the courses to them. Take a high emotional intelligence course even if you can't expense it. It will equip you with skills and traits you can use to advance your career and make more money than less emotionally intelligent peers.

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Maven: Top 11 Signs of High Emotional Intelligence: Explained

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Delve into the nuances of emotional acumen with this article, as it breaks down the top 11 signs of high emotional intelligence. Understand the importance of empathy, self-awareness, and effective communication in personal and professional settings.

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How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence - Professional Development

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How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence - Professional Development

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Enter emotional intelligence (EI), a set of skills that help us recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions as well as recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others.

We recently spoke with Margaret Andrews, instructor of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, about how people can build EI for better interpersonal relations. Andrews is the former associate dean at Harvard University's Division of Continuing Education and executive director at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

"Emotional intelligence is critical in building and maintaining relationships and influencing others-key skills that help people throughout their career and wherever they sit in an organizational structure," says Andrews.

Additionally, research suggests that people with a high emotional quotient (EQ) are more innovative and have higher job satisfaction than those with lower EQs.

Let's dive into what exactly EI entails, and how you can improve on this essential component of successful relationships.

What Are the Components of Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is a set of skills and behaviors. While some people will be naturally more adept at certain aspects, EI can be learned, developed, and enhanced.

The four main components of EI are self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and social skills:

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to identify and understand your own emotions and the impact we have on others. It's the cornerstone of emotional intelligence and the other components of EI depend on this self-awareness.

"It all starts with self-awareness, which is foundation of EI, and it builds from there. If you're aware of your own emotions and the behaviors they trigger, you can begin to manage these emotions and behaviors," says Andrews.

Our emotions impact our mood, behaviors, performance, and interactions with other people. "We are all having emotions all the time," says Andrews, "the question is whether you are aware of these emotions and the impact they have on your behavior - and other people."

According to Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist, researcher, and author of Insight, people who are self-aware tend to be more confident and more creative. They also make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively.

Self-Regulation

Self-awareness opens the door to self-regulation, which is the ability to manage these emotions and behaviors. Once we're aware of our emotions, we can begin to manage them and keep the disruptive emotions and impulses under control.

"People with strong self-regulation can pause and take a deep breath in tense and stressful situations, explains Andrews, "which helps them remain calm and think before they speak or act."

These people tend toward a positive outlook and are adaptable to a variety of situations and circumstances. "On the flip side," she says, "those that cannot contain their negative emotions and impulses often set off a chain reaction of negative emotions in others."

"There's an old adage that people join organizations and leave managers," says Andrews, "and it's true. So, companies - or managers - that have high turnover rates should take a look in the mirror."

Social Awareness

Social awareness is our ability to understand the emotions of others and a key component of this is empathy.

Jamil Zaki, a Stanford professor and author of The War for Kindness, describes empathy as having three components - identifying what others feel, sharing this emotion, and wishing to improve their experience.

"It's not about how you would feel in their situation, but rather, how they actually feel," says Andrews.

People with strong social awareness tend toward kindness. However, this doesn't mean they cannot give others difficult feedback - in fact, they may be better at delivering this 'tough love' because they understand the other person and want to help them improve.

Social Skills

"Social skills are what separate a great manager from a good one," says Andrews.

These skills, which include influence, conflict management, teamwork, and the ability to inspire others, make it possible to build and maintain healthy relationships in all parts of your life.

People with strong social skills can make an enormous difference on a team and in organizations because they understand others and act on this knowledge to move people toward a common goal.

To improve your emotional intelligence, you need to start at the beginning, with self-awareness. However, gauging your self-awareness is innately difficult because, as Andrews puts it, "you don't know what you don't know."

Research Reveals Barriers to Self-Awareness

Without an objective sense of who you are and what drives you, it's nearly impossible to be emotionally intelligent. Andrews cites a study by Tasha Eurich which found that 95 percent of participants gave themselves high marks in self-awareness.

However, using more empirical measures of self-awareness, the study found that only 10-15 percent of the cohort was truly self-aware.

That's a pretty big gap, and one that suggests most of us aren't very self-aware. What's worse, research also shows that managers and CEOs may be the least self-aware of all. This is not despite their authority, but quite possibly because of it.

Eurich wrote in the Harvard Business Review that the more power someone obtains, the more likely they are to be overconfident about how well they know themselves. After all, those at the top of the chain have fewer people giving them feedback.

Often, when managers do receive feedback from employees, it isn't as honest as it might be because subordinates are afraid of incurring negative consequences. Managers are insulated from criticism, and as a result, self-awareness sinks.

Receiving honest, constructive feedback is key to becoming self-aware. Andrews notes that a 360-degree emotional intelligence assessment can be a very effective way to gain insight into your EI-components and the impact you have on others.

"Many people shrug off differences in how they rate themselves versus how others rate them on EI competencies by saying that they're too hard on themselves or that others don't really understand their intent," says Andrews, "but really it shows a lack of self-awareness."

What Are the Signs of Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is a set of skills and behaviors that can be learned and developed. Here are some telltale signs of people with low EQ and those with high EQ.
People with low EQ:

Often feels misunderstood

Get upset easily

Become overwhelmed by emotions

Have problems being assertive

People with high EQ:

Understand the links between their emotions and how they behave

Remain calm and composed during stressful situations

Are able to influence others toward a common goal

Handle difficult people with tact and diplomacy

Three Steps Toward Improved Emotional Intelligence

Developing emotional intelligence is an ongoing process. The journey differs from person to person. Nonetheless, according to Andrews, the following actions may lead you to better self-awareness, empathy, and social skills.

1. Recognize your emotions and name them

What emotions are you feeling right now? Can you name them? When in a stressful situation, what emotions typically arise? How would you like to respond in these situations? Can you stop to pause and reconsider your response? Taking a moment to name your feelings and temper your reactivity is an integral step toward EI.

2. Ask for feedback

Audit your self-perception by asking managers, colleagues, friends, or family how they would rate your emotional intelligence. For example, ask them about how you respond to difficult situations, how adaptable or empathetic you are, and/or how well you handle conflict. It may not always be what you want to hear, but it will often be what you need to hear.

3. Read literature

Studies show that reading literature with complex characters can improve empathy. Reading stories from other people's perspectives helps us gain insight into their thoughts, motivations, and actions and may help enhance your social awareness.

How to Establish a Culture of Emotional Intelligence

Building E.I. in yourself is one thing, but influencing others to adopt a more empathetic mindset can be a challenge. To create a culture of high EQ, managers and supervisors must model emotionally intelligent behavior.

"If you want to change how your organization does in EI, you can set norms for how people communicate and how they disagree," says Andrews.

In addition, you need to recognize and celebrate those that exhibit emotional intelligence.;

"Start making heroes of people who help other people," says Andrews. "It's not just the person who got to the top of the mountain first - it's all the people who helped them. If you want to encourage good team behavior, recognize it, and call it out for what it is."

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How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence - Professional Development | Harvard DCE

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Enter emotional intelligence (EI), a set of skills that help us recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions as well as recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others. We recently spoke with Margaret Andrews, instructor of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, about how people can build EI for better interpersonal relations.

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The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence At Work

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The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence At Work

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Council Post: The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence At Work

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There are four vital ways that being emotionally intelligent can positively impact the workplace.

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How to Develop Emotional Intelligence Skills

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How to Develop Emotional Intelligence Skills

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Emotional intelligence is a crucial component of leadership. Your ability to manage your emotions, as well as recognize and influence others', has been considered one of the strongest indicators of workplace performance. Research shows that 90 percent of top performers are high in emotional intelligence.

Technical skills will only get you so far. If you're an aspiring or current leader, you need to build your emotional intelligence to bring out the best in others and cultivate high-performing teams.

"Leaders prime the emotional state of the organization," said Travis Bradberry, president of emotional intelligence provider TalentSmart, to the Society for Human Resource Management. "When they're ineffective, when they set poor examples of how they treat other people, that trickles down throughout the company."

What Is Emotional Intelligence and Why Is It Important?

Emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient or EQ, is the ability to understand and manage your emotions and the emotions of others.

Similar to IQ, emotional intelligence can be measured through various assessments, but IQ represents cognitive abilities while EQ is a measure of one's emotional capabilities.

While emotional intelligence is beneficial for everyone, it's especially important for those in leadership positions. Emotionally intelligent leaders can empathize with others, communicate effectively, and manage conflict. All of these abilities are qualities of effective leaders.

If you want to enhance your leadership capabilities, here are five emotional intelligence skills you need and ways you can develop them.

Free E-Book: How to Become a More Effective Leader

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Emotional Intelligence Skills Leaders Need

1. Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is having a clear understanding of your strengths, limitations, emotions, beliefs, and motivations. It sounds simple enough, yet 79 percent of executives surveyed by organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry had at least one blind spot-or a skill they ranked among their strongest that others reported as a weakness.

Leaders who are adept at recognizing and managing their emotions are better equipped to perceive others' feelings and know how to motivate employees. Those who don't could see a slip in performance: Research in the Harvard Business Review found that teams with individuals who lack self-awareness make worse decisions and are less effective at conflict management.

By acknowledging your weaknesses, you can build trust and transparency among your team. You can also own your professional development by knowing the areas in which you need to improve in order to advance your career.

2. Self-Regulation

Self-regulation refers to how you manage your emotions, behaviors, and impulses. The more self-aware you are, the easier this becomes; if you can recognize what you're feeling and why, you can respond appropriately.

"In my experience, I've never seen the tendency toward radical outbursts to surface as an indicator of strong leadership," writes Daniel Goleman, the psychologist who popularized emotional intelligence, on his website.

If prone to emotional outbursts or overreacting, there are tactics you can use to improve your self-regulation, such as:

Pausing Before Responding: Give yourself time to stop and think before immediately replying. This could be as simple as taking a deep breath and allowing for a 20-second pause so that your feelings get out of the way of your thoughts.

Taking a Step Back: Sometimes, you might need to leave the room, and that's OK. It's often better to take a walk, drink some water, or call a friend than to make a snap judgment, send a scathing email, or lash out at your team.

Recognizing Your Emotions: Try jotting down what it is you're feeling and what caused the distress. You'll likely start identifying patterns. If you know what triggers you, the next time a similar situation occurs, you'll be better positioned to handle it in a healthy, positive way.

If you acknowledge your emotions and give yourself time to process them, you can carefully craft how you respond and avoid doing anything that could jeopardize the goodwill you've worked hard to build.

3. Empathy

Empathy is the capability of understanding another person's experiences and emotions, and has been ranked as the top leadership skill needed today by global consulting firm DDI. According to DDI's research, leaders who excel at listening and responding with empathy perform more than 40 percent higher in coaching, planning, and decision-making.

According to a separate survey by Businessolver, 96 percent of employees rank empathy as important, but 92 percent say it's undervalued. It shouldn't be, though: Companies that prioritize empathy experience an increase in revenue, retention, and productivity.

By actively listening to your employees and taking the time to understand their wants and needs, you can boost engagement, build trust, and more effectively coach them through challenges. The more your team feels appreciated, the more invested they'll be, which, in turn, leads to higher morale and stronger company culture.

4. Motivation

Motivation refers to your ability to inspire both yourself and others to action. Here, it's essential to lead by example. Self-motivated leaders care more about hitting organizational milestones than monetary awards. They set goals, take initiative, rise to the challenge, and stay optimistic during turbulent times.

The more positive you are, the more confident your team will feel. Your intrinsic motivation will permeate the organization, and you'll have a better understanding of how to empower employees.

5. Social Skills

Social skills are all about how you perceive emotions and interact and communicate with others. For example, emotionally intelligent leaders can walk into a room of employees with pursed lips and clenched fists and not only sense the tension, but know how to address and resolve the conflict before it escalates.

The more in tune you are with your emotions, the easier it will be to assess others'. And if you can assess others' feelings, you can more easily build and maintain relationships. Leaders with strong social skills know they can't achieve success alone. Surpassing goals and reaching milestones requires collaboration, communication, and a shared vision.

How to Give Feedback Effectively

How to Develop Emotional Intelligence Skills

If you have gaps in your current skill set, there are actions you can take to boost your emotional intelligence. Methods include:

1. Try Journaling

At the end of the workday, reflect on how your meetings, projects, and interactions went-whether positive or negative. By writing your thoughts down, you can spot specific patterns about your behaviors and reactions, as well as others'.

Where did you excel? How are your employees feeling? Are there certain people or situations that frustrated you and, if so, why? The more introspective you are, the better. For example, you'll become more aware of what upsets you, so that you can avoid a future outburst, or mimic actions that have proven to boost employee morale.

2. Undergo a 360-Degree Assessment

In a 360-degree assessment, you solicit feedback from your manager, colleagues, and peers, while also undergoing an individual self-assessment. Through the process, you can gain valuable insights into what your co-workers perceive as your strengths and weaknesses, as well as uncover any blind spots you might have.

According to Jack Zenger, CEO of leadership development firm Zenger Folkman, more than 85 percent of all Fortune 500 companies use 360-degree feedback. It can help improve leaders' self-awareness, which, in turn, can result in improved workplace effectiveness, less stress, and stronger relationships.

3. Practice Active Listening

According to Psychology Today, only about 10 percent of people listen effectively. It's easy to get distracted by technology, background noise, and your own thoughts. Yet, to be an effective communicator and emotionally intelligent leader, you need to be a good listener.

To become more emotionally intelligent, practice active listening. Try to focus on what the speaker is saying and show that you're engaged by paraphrasing and using other non-verbal cues like nodding. By actively listening at work, it will be easier to connect with others and truly understand their thoughts and feelings.

4. Pay Attention to Your Emotions

To understand the emotions of others, you need to understand your own first.

When you catch yourself feeling a particularly strong emotion, whether it's a positive or negative one, make a conscious effort to think about what you're feeling. Take a second and consider why you're feeling this way and what might have triggered such a strong emotional response.

This will help you become more aware of your own emotions and better understand your colleagues'. As an empathetic leader, you'll be able to cultivate a high-performing team.

5. Take an Online Course or Training

If you're interested in diving deeper into emotional intelligence and enhancing your leadership capabilities, taking an online leadership course or training could be the best next step.

Online courses offer working professionals the flexibility to complete coursework on their schedule and connect with a global community of like-minded peers, all while gaining new skills and knowledge.

One program to consider is Harvard Business School Online's Leadership Principles course, which provides a 360-degree assessment to help you better understand who you are as a leader and how others perceive you.

Improving Your Emotional Intelligence

Building your emotional intelligence skills can not only help you grow as a leader but enable you to motivate and coach teams more effectively. In turn, you can make a greater impact on your organization by boosting morale, productivity, and communication-enabling you to advance your business and career simultaneously.
Do you want to improve your emotional intelligence? Explore our online course Leadership Principles and discover how you can unleash the potential in yourself and others to create high-performing teams. This post was updated on May 13, 2021. It was originally published on October 23, 2019.

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