How Emotional Intelligence Can Shape Your Personal and Professional Growth

Unearth the power of emotional intelligence and its impact on your personal and professional success. Enhance your self-awareness, develop strong relationships, and improve decision-making skills

How much emotional intelligence are you currently embodying? Are you able to identify and articulate from moment to moment, which emotion you are feeling? 

When your emotions are intense, are you able to successful manage the emotion without becoming overwhelmed or over-identified by the emotion? 

Can you tune into other people’s emotions, including the emotions they try to hide? 

If you have answered yes to any of these questions then congratulations, you have a healthy supply of emotional intelligence.

The main function of emotional intelligence is the ability to organise, identify and categorise complex emotions. This skill can give you a tremendous advantage when managing your own emotions as well as understanding the emotions of others which can lead to richer more fulfilling relationships both personally and professionally.

What is the most essential trait of emotional intelligence? 

Self awareness Is the ability to understand and recognise your own emotions. It’s the ability to identify what your feeling, why you’re feeling them and even where in your body you are feeling them.

Self awareness is also the ability to be able to recognise the impact that your having on those around you.

It sets the stage for having healthy instincts and can give you a well-rounded perception of yourself which acknowledges both your strengths and your weaknesses. 

Self-awareness is the antidote to self-delusion and will help you to understand your values and boundaries. A self-aware person will have a good grasp on excessive ego lending itself to having a healthy ego.

Why is emotional intelligence so important?

Emotional intelligence forms the crossroad of where emotions and cognition meet. EQ matters because when it is successfully cultivated it is one of the key ingredients for creating a healthy, joyful life.

Emotional intelligence is touted to be a precursor for success in your career, however this success is not only limited to your professional life. Emotional intelligence rests in the ability to  identify and regulate a complex range of emotions and grants you the skillfulness to practise self-control. 

Self control requires a substantial amount of emotional mastery. By mastering your emotions, you are able to prevent conflicts, you’re better at reading the room and understanding where to position yourself. You are able to manage stress, be more resilient, motivate yourself and others, and be empathatic. 

You are able to use the feedback mechanism of emotional intelligence to guide your actions and influence the actions of others.

You have a good grasp on the temperature of your environment in social situations. This may mean removing yourself from situations that you my observe are volatile or even harmful. 

Why is emotional intelligence important in relationships?

In the heat of the moment it’s so easy to react to assumptions that we make about other peoples  words or actions  that we respond prematurely without having assessed the situation through the lens of a calm mind. This is reactive behaviour and is not a display of emotional intelligence.

 In these types of situations people can jump to conclusions saying things they later regret.  Sometimes  when we don’t practice emotional intelligence it can damage the relationship in ways that are irreparable.  

People who read high in EQ won’t react to a situation immediately and instead they may pause and slow down and take time to process their emotions.  This minor shift in critical thinking makes a world of difference to the outcome of the situation.

Individuals with emotional intelligence learn to challenge their own assumptions about a situation or experience and will also challenge the assumptions of others. When a person jumps to conclusions and assumptions this is known as projection.

When a person constantly projects onto others the person on the receiving end may not feel seen or heard.  when a person does not feel seen or heard this will inhibit intimacy  and will  inevitably  destroy connection. 

What are the five pillars of emotional intelligence? (EI/EQ)

Self-awareness serves as the initial phase in introspective self-assessment, allowing us to pinpoint the behavioural and emotional elements of our psyche that we can subsequently modify. Moreover, being emotionally self-aware means understanding what drives you and consequently, what brings you satisfaction.

• Self-regulation refers to the capacity to control one’s potentially disruptive or negative emotions, as well as adaptability in the face of changing circumstances. Individuals proficient in self-regulation are typically adept at conflict resolution, demonstrate resilience during change, and are more inclined to assume responsibility.
• Motivation: This refers to the capacity for self-inspiration, emphasising on attaining personal satisfaction rather than external commendation or incentives. Individuals possessing this ability to self-motivate often exhibit a heightened commitment and a strong focus towards their goals.
• Empathy: This refers to the capacity to perceive and comprehend the emotions of others, taking these feelings into account before reacting in social contexts. It’s a vital quality that enables an individual to grasp the complexities affecting both personal and professional relationships.
• Social Skills: These are abilities that allow one to handle others’ emotions effectively, based on emotional comprehension. They help establish rapport and foster connections with people through techniques like active listening, as well as verbal and nonverbal communication.
• Self-awareness: This is the ability to identify and understand one’s own emotions, along with their effects on others. It’s a crucial aspect of personal growth and effective interaction.

What is the most emotionally intelligent species?

Did you know that… 

Elephants have a depth and range of emotion  and have some of the most complex conventions in the animal kingdom after the passing of their beloved. When a member of an elephant troop passes away, the remaining elephants grieve the passing of their loved one by “burying” the body with leaves and grass. These sensitive beings then keep vigil over the body for a week. Much like us humans elephants go back to the bones of deceased elephants to honour the memory for years to come. 

Dolphins have been known to partake in altruistic acts of kindness rescuing human swimmers from hammerhead sharks. They have guided lost and stranded whales back to sea. One notable area of study is self-awareness, which is often considered a marker of higher intelligence. Bottlenose dolphins have demonstrated the ability to recognize themselves in mirrors, a trait previously thought to be unique to humans and a few other intelligent species like chimpanzees.