Why You need Emotional Intelligence
When emotional intelligence first emerged as a concept, it revealed a surprising truth: individuals with average IQs often outperform those with the highest IQs by a whopping 70%. This revelation shook the foundations of what many believed to be the sole determinant of success—IQ. Decades of research have now underscored emotional intelligence as the crucial factor that sets top performers apart from their peers.
Emotional intelligence, often dubbed EQ, is that elusive quality within us that’s a bit intangible yet immensely impactful. It influences how we handle ourselves, navigate social dynamics, and make decisions that lead to positive outcomes. This EQ is comprised of four core skills, which can be categorized into two primary competencies: personal competence and social competence.
Personal competence encompasses self-awareness and self-management—skills focused more on individual behavior rather than interactions with others. Self-awareness entails accurately perceiving our emotions and staying attuned to them as they arise. Self-management involves using this awareness to remain flexible and steer our behavior in a positive direction.
On the other hand, social competence encompasses social awareness and relationship management—skills vital for understanding others’ emotions and effectively managing interactions. Social awareness enables us to accurately interpret others’ emotions and discern underlying dynamics. Relationship management empowers us to leverage this awareness to navigate interactions successfully.
It’s essential to note that emotional intelligence, IQ, and personality are distinct entities. While IQ represents our intellect and remains stable over time, emotional intelligence is a flexible set of skills that can be cultivated and refined with practice. Personality, meanwhile, reflects our stable preferences and inclinations, such as introversion or extroversion.
But why does emotional intelligence matter so much? Well, research has shown that it’s a potent predictor of professional success, accounting for a significant 58% of performance across various roles. In fact, a staggering 90% of top performers exhibit high emotional intelligence. Conversely, only 20% of low performers demonstrate the same.
Moreover, the financial implications of emotional intelligence are substantial. Individuals with high emotional intelligence earn an average of $29,000 more annually than their less emotionally intelligent counterparts. The correlation between emotional intelligence and earnings is so direct that each point increase in emotional intelligence translates to an additional $1,300 in annual salary.
The good news is that emotional intelligence isn’t fixed—it’s trainable. The communication between our emotional and rational brains forms the basis of emotional intelligence, and our brain’s plasticity enables us to develop and reinforce emotionally intelligent behaviours over time. Through practice and repetition, we can build new neural pathways that make emotionally intelligent responses second nature.
So, what does this mean for you? It means that by investing in developing your emotional intelligence, you’re investing in your future success. By honing your self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management skills, you can enhance your performance, elevate your earning potential, and cultivate more fulfilling professional relationships.
In essence, emotional intelligence isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have for navigating the complexities of the modern workplace and achieving lasting success. So, let’s commit to cultivating our EQ and unlocking our full potential as leaders and professionals. After all, the benefits are not just personal—they’re professional, financial, and limitless.
