How to boost your emotional intelligence for career success
Emotional intelligence (EI), also called emotional quotient (EQ), is the ability to identify, understand, and manage your own emotions—and to recognize and influence the emotions of others. In the workplace, it’s what lets you collaborate well, handle pressure, and lead effectively.
Technical skills get you hired, but emotional intelligence often determines how far you go. Many employers now weigh it as heavily as technical ability when evaluating candidates, because teams run on communication and trust as much as expertise.
This article explains why emotional intelligence matters at work, breaks down its components, and shows you how to improve yours.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence measures your ability to identify, understand, manage, and use your emotions and those of your colleagues. Because it enhances interpersonal communication and collaboration, it’s one of the most sought-after qualities in the workplace.
Why is emotional intelligence so important?
According to a study published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, people with greater EQ are more likely to make sound decisions. They can also deal effectively with stress, grow and sustain collaborative relationships, and cope better with constant change.
In the workplace, this skill helps you relate better with colleagues and influence them more easily, making you a stronger leader. You can defuse tense situations by bringing disagreements into the open and offering solutions everyone can agree with.
Research also indicates that people with greater EQ have higher job satisfaction and are more innovative than those with lower EQ.
How is emotional intelligence measured?
There are four methods of measuring emotional intelligence:
- Self-reporting. You answer questions about yourself on a scale of 1 to 5. Some experts consider this method biased—you’re likely to answer based on how you view yourself rather than your actual skill level.
- Other-reporting. Similar to self-reporting, but your colleagues answer the questions about your work behavior.
- Ability tests. These questions directly assess your ability to identify and control emotions, unlike the first two opinion-based methods.
- The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). The most popular method of assessing EQ. It consists of smaller sub-tests that evaluate your capability to identify, understand, and control your emotions.
Components of emotional intelligence
Four main attributes define emotional intelligence, as determined by American psychologist and author Daniel Goleman.
Self-awareness
Self-awareness is how well you understand your emotions and their influence on your thoughts and behavior. It builds self-confidence because you know the full extent of your strengths and weaknesses.
According to research by Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist, only 10%–15% of people are truly self-aware—while 95% think they are. That gap causes problems: people who lack self-awareness can drag a team to half its potential, sapping motivation and increasing stress.
To inspire others, you must first bring out the best in yourself. A great way to assess your self-awareness is , which compares your view of your performance with the opinions of your peers, boss, and direct reports. It teaches you how people in the organization actually perceive you.
Self-awareness must be nurtured progressively. Dedicate specific days of the week to reflect on and assess your progress. If you’re doing this on your own, keep a journal to regularly assess your strengths and weaknesses, and note areas where you’ve improved with clear evidence of progress.
Self-management
Self-management is your ability to:
- Healthily manage your emotions
- Control impulsive behaviors and feelings
- Adapt to changing circumstances
- Take initiative
- Fulfill your commitments
Leaders with poor self-management find it hard to keep their impulses under control. A reaction is automatic, but greater emotional intelligence lets you move from reaction to response.
You can build self-management by finding what works to settle your emotions—calling a friend, say, or taking a walk. This helps you handle adversity and stress more intentionally.
Social awareness
Social awareness is about empathy. It involves recognizing other people’s needs, concerns, and emotions, feeling comfortable socially, and understanding emotional cues. Socially aware people can also pick up on the power dynamics within a group or organization.
Leaders with strong social awareness try to understand their colleagues’ perspectives and feelings, which strengthens communication and collaboration at work.
Relationship management
Relationship management is your capability to cultivate and maintain healthy relationships, inspire and influence others, communicate effectively, manage conflicts, and work well in a team.
While some people prefer avoiding conflicts at work, those with greater emotional intelligence address issues properly and on time. Unaddressed conflicts strain morale and resources—the unproductive activities they trigger, like gossip and avoidance, eat up hours of working time that could go toward real work.
Signs of high emotional intelligence
Here are some signs of high EQ in the workplace:
- Remaining calm under pressure
- Solving problems and making better decisions
- Resolving conflicts
- Showing more empathy
- Listening, reflecting, and responding to
High EQ shows up in many areas of life. For example, it could help a customer service representative handle a difficult customer who’s upset about the company’s product or service. By remaining calm, acknowledging the customer’s frustrations, and offering an apology, they find a quick solution and assure the client their concerns are valued.
How to identify a lack of emotional intelligence
Workplace behaviors that signal low EQ include:
- Communicating in passive-aggressive styles
- Avoiding taking responsibility for mistakes or always playing the victim
- Refusing to cooperate with other team members
- Dismissing the opinions of other people or being overly critical
Someone with low emotional intelligence always believes they’re right. They constantly argue with their peers and never want to consider alternative opinions, because they find it hard to relate to other people’s feelings. They often fixate on their shortcomings and struggle to learn from mistakes and move on.
Benefits of having high EQ
The main benefits of greater emotional intelligence in the workplace:
- Positive interactions with colleagues, potential clients, supervisors, and other through excellent communication skills
- Approaching interactions with a positive attitude, which helps you understand others and create more impactful connections
- A greater EQ rubs off on other , helping them become more productive
- Enhanced performance, which can open the door to promotions and better roles
How to increase your EQ
To improve your emotional intelligence and set yourself up for career success, work on the following skills.
Active listening
People who listen well and pay attention to nonverbal cues can improve their EQ. A common mistake among people with poor EQ is not taking time to understand what the other person is saying—just waiting for their turn to speak. This habit can quickly cause conflicts at work.
Active listening shows the speaker respect and helps you respond appropriately, preventing misunderstandings. It’s also a great way to improve your communication skills.
Empathy
Empathy is understanding and sharing other people’s feelings—seeing the world the way they do. When you’re empathetic, you listen with your heart, which lets you connect with others fully. To improve this skill, always imagine how the speaker feels.
Reflection
Active listening is essential, but reflective listening matters even more. It involves showing you understand what the other person has said: reflect on their statement and confirm whether you understood it. The habit of reflecting on your own emotions also helps you manage them better and become more self-aware.
Treat reflection as time to think. It’s a space for working through life’s complexities and evaluating how you approach a specific action. Build in that space so you can think before you act.
How EQ can make leaders more effective
Leaders set the culture in any organization. If they lack emotional intelligence, the consequences can be far-reaching, including poor and low retention rates.
Your technical qualities may be superb, but you won’t be an effective leader if you can’t communicate well with your team or collaborate effectively. Master emotional intelligence to and leader, and climb the career ladder faster.
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