Which Elements of YOUR Emotional Intelligence Do YOU Need to Improve?

 
Emotional intelligence is a concept we should understand as marketers and in our own personal terms. According to Psychology Today, emotional intelligence is “the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is generally said to include three skills: (1) Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others. (2) The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problems solving. (3) The ability to manage emotions, including the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.”

Daniel Goleman and Richard E. Boyatzis, writing for Harvard Business Review, describe emotional intelligence in some depth:

“There are many models of emotional intelligence, each with its own set of abilities; they are often lumped together as ‘EQ’ in the popular vernacular. We prefer ‘EI,’ which we define as comprising four domains: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Nested within these domains are twelve EI competencies, learned and learnable capabilities that allow outstanding performance at work or as a leader . These include areas in which we are clearly strong: empathy, positive outlook, and self-control. But they also include crucial abilities such as achievement, influence, conflict management, teamwork and inspirational leadership. These skills require just as much engagement with emotions as the first set, and should be just as much a part of any aspiring leader’s development priorities.”

The twelve EI competencies are highlighted by More Than Sound. WHICH OF THEM ARE YOUR STRENGTHS AND WHICH OF THEM DO YOU NEED TO IMPROVE?

Self-Awareness — (1) Emotional Self-Awareness:  “Emotionally self-aware leaders not only can be candid and authentic, they also can speak with conviction about their vision.”

Self-Management — (2) Emotional Self-Control: “ Leaders with self-control stay calm and clear-headed while under stress or during a crisis and maintain emotional balance.” (3) Achievement Orientation: “Leaders who have high standards for themselves and for others set measurable but challenging goals.” (4) Positive Outlook: “Such a leader see others positively, and still expects the best of them (with a ‘glass half-full’ outlook).” (5) Adaptability: “This leader can juggle multiple demands, but remain focused on a group’s goals.”

Social Awareness — (6) Empathy: “Such leaders listen attentively while understanding other’s perspectives, get along well with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures, and express their ideas in ways others understand.” (7) Organizational Awareness: “This leader can detect networking opportunities, read key power relationships, and understand the guiding values and unspoken rules that operate among people.”

Relationship Management — (8) Influence: “These leaders know how to appeal to others and how to build buy-in from key people.” (9) Coach and Mentor: “This leader has a genuine interest in helping others, and gives timely and constructive feedback to coworkers.” (10) Conflict Management: “They take time to understand different perspectives and work to find a common ground upon which everyone can agree.” (11) Inspirational Leadership:  “They articulate a shared mission in a way that inspires others to follow.” (12) Teamwork: “These leaders create an atmosphere of respect, helpfulness, and cooperation.”