What is EQ and How Does it Affect Your Career?

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for professionals with high emotional intelligence. While IQ, skills and other competencies are vital for job performance, EQ is now one of the key qualities that companies are looking for in candidates.

Studies have shown that those with high EQ stand to earn higher salaries, are more likely to be hired, and would most likely be promoted. Harvard Business School also reported that emotional intelligence accounts for almost 90 percent of what sets high performers apart from their colleagues with similar skill sets and level of knowledge.

According to Forbes, a leader with high EQ has better interpersonal and communication skills, which leads to greater team satisfaction and improved productivity.

What exactly is emotional intelligence and how can we develop it?

Emotional intelligence or EQ is a set of skills and behaviours that can be learned and developed. According to Harvard, the four main components of EQ are self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and social skills.

Self-Awareness

A self-aware person is able to identify and understand his or her own emotions, personalities, behaviours and influence on others. Margaret Andrews, instructor of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership believes that self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence.

“If you’re aware of your own emotions and the behaviours they trigger, you can begin to manage these emotions and behaviours,” says Andrews.

Those who are self-aware are able to understand themselves better, make rational decisions, and are generally be more confident in what they can offer.

Self-Regulation

Understanding yourself enables you to manage emotions and behaviours better.

Knowing if you are prone to disruptive or impulsive behaviours helps you to quickly take control of the situation by regulating your thoughts and reactions.

Andrews added that, “People with strong self-regulation can pause and take a deep breath in tense and stressful situations which helps them remain calm and think before they speak or act.”

Studies have shown that those who are more optimistic and adaptable are perceived to be more attractive. On the other hand, those who emit negativity can “set off a chain reaction of negative emotions in others,” says Andrews.

Social Awareness

Social awareness is the ability to feel the room and understanding the emotions of others. The main component in developing social awareness is empathy.

When we are able to understand how others feel in any given situation, we can improve their experience and develop a better relationship with them. This leads to better teamwork, improved communication and collaboration.

Social Skills

Good social skills are a result of developing good self-awareness, social awareness and self-regulation. These components help individuals improve their ability to interact with others in an impactful way.

Understanding people and applying good social skills can enable professionals to move teams towards a common goal, build and maintain good relationships, manage conflict and influence others better.

Emotional intelligence is not only essential to having a good work experience, but also important when taking on leadership positions. It equips leaders with the tools to lead engaged and successful teams.

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