Emotional intelligence (often abbreviated at EQ or EI) is the ability to understand and manage yourself so you can positively influence others and have meaningful relationships at work + home. It’s the process of first mastering our own thoughts, emotions, habits, and unconscious communication patterns so they don’t hijack our intended behavior. Emotional intelligence requires empathy, vulnerability, and being able to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes so we can connect with them. It asks us to summon the courage to have tough-love conversations, hold others (and ourselves) accountable, and lead from inspiration and human-centeredness rather than from fear.
Research shows EQ is more important than:
IQ + technical skills COMBINED in determining a leader’s success*
People with high EQ:
- Are 127% more productive*
- Bring in 2x the revenue*
- Are 75% more likely to be promoted and have higher salaries*
- Make better decisions*
Employees who work for an emotionally intelligent leader:
- Are 400% less likely to leave a job*
- Are 50% more inspired*
- Have 50% less lost-time accidents*
- Experience less burnout*
- Provide higher levels of customer service*
Get the details on this data HERE.
Common Organizational Symptoms Of LOW-EQ Leadership:
- High employee turnover
- Ineffective employee accountability
- Disengaged staff
- Stressed & burnt out employees that stress out your members, guests, and customers
- Lingering workplace conflict
- Low productivity
- Inconsistent leadership and team results
The 4 Pillars Of Emotional Intelligence:
***The pillars of EQ are building blocks on one another. You must optimize pillar #1 before you can move on to #2, #3, and on.
EQ Pillar #1: Self-Awareness
The ability to accurately perceive your emotions and stay aware of them as they happen
- Being aware of our strengths, weaknesses, and emotional patterns
- Ensuring our self-perceptions are accurate
- Bringing awareness to unproductive communication and limiting beliefs
- Being able to observe ourselves and use information in the moment to choose our response
EQ Pillar #2: Self-Management
The ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and positively direct your behavior
- Taking responsibility for our actions and results
- Stress management and productivity habits for resilience and consistency
- Being emotionally balanced and stable, even when frustrated
- Making decisions that support long-term success and relationship building vs. short-term reward
EQ Pillar #3: Others-Awareness
The ability to accurately pick up on others’ emotions, have empathy, and understand what is really going on
- Understanding our impact on others
- Empathy and perspective – putting ourselves in others’ shoes
- Listening; knowing when to speak and when to be silent
- Understanding what motivates others to better influence / communicate with them
EQ Pillar #4: Relationship Management
The ability to use awareness of your and others’ emotions to manage interactions effectively
- How to effectively make requests, give / receive feedback, and shift unproductive behavior
- Managing conflict and having tough-love conversations
- Building and sustaining team rapport, motivation, and high performance
- Inspirational, influential leadership
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*Sources: Harvard Business Review, Initiative One, Learning in Action, Yale. Read the details.