IQ drives our education system often sidelining EQ i.e, emotional quotient. It is only when students become employees that they realise the value of emotional intelligence. Understanding business is only possible when one understands people, where emotional intelligence plays a huge role. In fact, studies show that emotionally intelligent people make better business leaders, as they are able to challenge complacency, embrace new ideas & develop great insights into human behaviour & emotions.
A person with high emotional intelligence knows that to thrive one needs to move beyond what one already knows. They are eager to swim in foreign waters & are open to take up unforeseen challenges. This habit to challenge complacency makes them reach greater heights & cope with obstacles better. They are always in it for the long haul!
They are never in denial. They acknowledge negative emotions & ill feelings that they feel while doing something different or difficult. They accept them & move on. Only when acknowledges negativity, can one conquer it. Denying change or failure or uncertainty is to be in the dark which will do no good in the long run. Channelise this acceptance of negativity to something which will help you defeat it.
The big part of adapting to change is, initiating it yourself. High EQ people are always open to looking at things from a fresh or new perspective. They are aware that their opinion is merely an opinion and can be coloured with prejudice or bias of some kind and so always have an inclusive way of thinking or ideating. This is one of the many factors that makes them great leaders.
One of the many habits of an emotionally intelligent person is his/her ability to read people through their body language. Emotionally intelligent people are not self-obsessed and spend time understanding people & their instincts. This makes them quit tactful in handling a group of people working together. They have a keen understanding of body language and are quick to make meaning of non-verbal gestures. They will thus pursue actions that will make people comfortable if they are not.
Setbacks are not deal breakers for emotionally intelligent people. They embrace setbacks and work towards setting them right. They are much more patient and avoid knee-jerk reactions. They choose to sit back & think rather than take a hasty step to correct it in a wrong way. They are patient, have great listening skills and incorporate an open approach to correcting methods; thus making them people interested in focusing on solutions rather than indulging in blame games.
Emotional intelligence is underrated in many circles but is gaining significance especially with markets hyper-fluctuating, technology changing by the second & an aggressive industry challenging people with new forms of risk. Emotional intelligence will help you and your team to overcome these hurdles in a positive & uplifting manner.
