I was introduced to the topic of emotional intelligence (EI) when I came across Daniel Goleman’s 1995 first bestseller. Since then he has continued his research and writing and I have witnessed the value EI plays for both individuals and organizations. I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some highlights that I know can make a difference for you in my two-part newsletter.
No matter what you do for a living, your intelligence quotient (IQ) counts for at most 25% of your effectiveness. Your emotional intelligence (EI) -- how well you deal with people, manage relationships and understand yourself -- counts for much of the rest. To reach your highest level of competence at work, you must know how to manage your emotions. You also must develop a fine sense of how other people feel -- and what they need.
Daniel Goleman’s research has found that EI is twice as important for star performance as IQ and technical expertise combined. The more senior position you have, the more critical EI becomes, accounting for close to 90% of success in top leadership positions. He further found that people with high levels of EI had the skills necessary to inspire, lead and persuade others to follow them.
Neither EI or IQ guarantees success. They are merely the raw materials needed to learn and develop the competence vital for top performance at work. This week we’ll focus on what is EI.
The 5 EI Competencies
- Self-awareness is knowing how you feel and accurately assessing your abilities. It powers your self-confidence -- a sense of security in your strengths. Having a strong sense of self-awareness is key to good decision making. When mulling over whether to take a job, make a deal or hire or fire an employee, everything that your experiences have taught you in similar situations combines to create a “gut feeling” -- or your intuition. You must be self-aware to recognize that your collective wisdom exists and that it is important to tap into it.
- Self-regulation is the ability to handle and manage your emotions. Staying calm and thinking clearly under stress is vital to do any job effectively. Emotional self-control is especially important today, so that you can be flexible and accommodate shifting circumstances. Because this faculty enables you to delay gratification and act responsibly, it is the basis for integrity and conscientiousness. When you can self-regulate your behavior, more people will trust you to do what is right, despite temptation.
- Motivation enlists your emotions to help guide you toward your goals. It powers the drive to excellence and moves you to improve your performance, set challenging goals and take intelligent risks. People with high motivation levels become committed to the mission of their organization. They develop the optimism to persist in the face of setbacks and obstacles.
- Empathy is your awareness of the feelings and concerns of others. It forms the basis for a “How-can-I-help-you?” orientation that empowers you to anticipate and meet the needs of customers and colleagues. By sensing what employees need to reach their potential, you can mold them into a strong, effective team. People with empathy have political savvy. They can read the emotional currents at the office, develop powerful relationships in their organization and intelligently navigate through turmoil.
- Social skills allow you to handle relationships adeptly and induce desirable responses in others. They are the keys to influence and persuasion. You can have the most brilliant ideas in the world, but if you lack these emotional skills, no one will listen to you. Social skills serve as the foundation for leadership -- the ability to inspire and guide others -- and for effective communication.
To assist you with implementation of these steps, I'm going to provide you a follow up eNewsletter next week entitled: 7 Tips to Boost Career Success. So look for its arrival one week from today!
One of the best and easiest tools I know of to discover one’s strengths is DiSC®. Studies have been done to show how people can significantly enhance personal effectiveness by honestly evaluating their behavior and selecting self-management strategies that maximize strengths.
Organizations around the world use DiSC® to improve effectiveness in self-awareness/self-management; peer relationships/team-building; performance enhancement/managing others; and client relationships.
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