Emotional Intelligence can be thought of as the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions. To be able to handle interpersonal relationships with sound judgement and empathy. According to Harvard Business Review, the following are core components of Emotional Intelligence:
| Self-Awareness: | Identifying your own emotions. To understand your sense of self, your strengths and weaknesses, and how your emotions affect others. |
| Self-Regulation: | Being able to control your own emotions. This means being able to process emotions before acting, or reacting, allowing for a calmer and more thoughtful perspective. |
| Motivation: | Working consistently and optimistically towards a goal and having high standards for your own work. A desire to succeed. |
| Empathy: | Perceiving and evaluating how others. The ability to put yourself in another person’s situation and understand their feelings or emotions, possible without verbal cues. Empathetic people often read body language and facial expressions to understand emotions in others without words. |
| Social Skills: | Facilitating social communication. Relating to others. Being able to build a rapport with others. |
Emotional Quotient (EQ) is distinct from Intelligence Quotient (IQ). IQ measures the ability to solve problems, use logic, and grasp or communicate complex ideas. EQ measures the ability to recognize emotion in yourself and others, and to use that awareness to guide your decisions. The important difference between IQ and EQ is that EQ can be developed.
Through experience and education, professionals can improve their EQ to become better colleagues and leaders. This is something that both the individual and their employer can invest in for a win-win situation - ensuring the personal and professional development of the individual while gaining a higher quality of work. Unlike IQ, EQ is a strong predictor of performance. One can be smart but if they cannot relate to their colleagues, stakeholders and customers then they will not be able to succeed in their role.
According to Oxford Languages, "emotional intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success". Emotionally intelligent people are able to control their emotions, and they are motivated to manage tasks and problem-solve obstacles. They are connected to who they are and what they value in life, which are foundational for prioritising and reaching any objective or goal. This is crucial for productivity and happy employees.
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