Emotional intelligence is a concept that gained popularity in the 1990s. However, it’s only in recent years when the idea has become significant, particularly in the workplace.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, also called emotional quotient or EQ, is your ability to distinguish, understand, and manage feelings and emotions.

According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, five pillars make up a person’s emotional intelligence:

• Self-awareness.This is your ability to recognize and understand your emotions, what triggers them, and how they affect your personal and work relationships.
• Self-regulation.Describes your capability to control and manage your moods and emotions so you don’t act on impulse.
• Self-motivation. A highly emotionally intelligent person can reach their goals without the need of having some external reward.
• Empathy. Emotionally intelligent people can recognize and understand their emotions and the feelings of others as well.
• Social skills.Emotionally intelligent people are fully capable of managing and building strong relationships with other people.

Why having a high level of emotional intelligence significant?

Companies have listed emotional intelligence as one of the top 10 skills employees must possess. In addition, 71% of hiring managers admitted they would choose a person with a high level of emotional intelligence over someone highly skilled and intellectually intelligent.

That’s because emotionally intelligent people are efficient working in teams. They are also very flexible and can quickly adapt to today’s volatile and fiercely competitive workplace changes.

More critical, emotionally intelligent employees are more engaged and committed to the companies they work for, making them even more valuable to any business.

7 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent People

1. Emotionally intelligent people focus on the positive.

   Although emotionally intelligent people are not immune to problems, they don’t allow this to weigh them down. Instead, they focus on the positive aspects of the situation and do what they can to improve the situation, if not eliminate this.

2. Emotionally intelligent people carefully choose their friends.

   While emotionally intelligent people have no problem working with people from all walks of life, they are very picky with whom they build a personal relationship.

   They avoid spending too much time with negative people who spend an excessive amount of time complaining and being critical. Aside from the fact that these people can quickly deplete their energy, emotionally intelligent people understand that they can assimilate these negative behaviors when spending lots of time with them. That is something emotionally intelligent people don’t want to happen.

3. Emotionally intelligent people set boundaries.

   Emotionally intelligent people are confident enough to know when to say no without worrying what others think.

   Others may find this arrogant and cocky. But, in reality, emotionally intelligent people value their time and commitments. So they are willing to risk offending a select few than compromising what they consider valuable and non-negotiable.

4. Emotionally intelligent people don’t live in the past.

   Emotionally intelligent people still make mistakes and fail. They are, after all, human beings.

   However, what sets them apart is that when life deals them a bad hand, they don’t spend the rest of their lives in shame, guilt, and regret. Instead, they understand that failure is part of life. They see it as part of the process for them to become better individuals.

5. Emotionally intelligent people know how to have fun.

   An emotionally intelligent person gets pleasure, satisfaction, and fulfillment in the little things. As a result, they come across as happy and cheerful to the people around them.

   At the same time, they don’t have any problems seeing others happy and fulfilled. They are often the first to congratulate them. It’s no wonder, then, why they are well-liked by their peers and superiors.

6. Emotionally intelligent people forgive but don’t forget.

   While emotionally intelligent people choose not to live in the mistakes of the past, that doesn’t mean that they erase them from their memory.

   On the contrary, they make sure that they remember these events to avoid making the same mistakes. Because of this, emotionally intelligent people come out wiser, stronger, and better judges of circumstances and people.

7. Emotionally intelligent people love to learn.

   An emotionally intelligent person considers themselves as a student of life. Therefore, they are open to learn, evolve, and grow. That’s the reason why they can take constructive feedback very well and come out better.

   If you want to become an emotionally intelligent person, we can help you with that through a Discovery session. Here, Coach Margaret will guide you through developing the skills and habits you need to amplify your emotional intelligence. So schedule your free Discovery Session with Coach Margaret today.

More About the Author

By Margaret Williams

Margaret is the CEO and founder of Intuitive Professional Coaching. She’s been coaching women by helping them discover their talents, develop these skills, and manage their stress levels to reach their fullest potential and live their dreams. She’s a Certified Associate Coach with the International Coach Federation and a Certified Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. When she’s not coaching, Margaret reading, listening to music, or lounging at the beach.