social and emotional intelligence essay

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence (Incl. Quotes)

Can you manage those feelings without allowing them to swamp you?

Can you motivate yourself to get jobs done? Do you sense the emotions of others and respond effectively?

If you answered yes to these questions, it is likely that you have developed some or all of the skills that form the basis of emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence ( EI ) forms the juncture at which cognition and emotion meet, it facilitates our capacity for resilience, motivation, empathy, reasoning, stress management, communication, and our ability to read and navigate a plethora of social situations and conflicts. EI matters and if cultivated affords one the opportunity to realize a more fulfilled and happy life.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Emotional Intelligence Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will not only enhance your ability to understand and work with your emotions but will also give you the tools to foster the emotional intelligence of your clients, students or employees.

This Article Contains:

What is the importance of emotional intelligence, five categories of emotional intelligence (ei/eq), value and benefits of emotional intelligence.

• Self Management, Self Regulation, and EQ

Resilience and EQ

Does emotional intelligence matter more than iq, is there a link between ei and job performance, how about emotional intelligence and motivation, using emotional intelligence to deal with stress, linking ei and decision-making, can emotional intelligence and success be related, goals and ei, how eq affects communication, why emotional intelligence matters for happiness.

• 6 Youtube Videos and TED Talks on Emotional Intelligence

21 Quotes on the Value of Emotional Intelligence

A take-home message.

The term ‘ Emotional Intelligence ’, first coined by psychologists Mayer and Salovey (1990), refers to one’s capacity to perceive, process and regulate emotional information accurately and effectively, both within oneself and in others and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions and to influence those of others.

Emotional intelligence can lead us on the path to a fulfilled and happy life by providing a framework through which to apply standards of intelligence to emotional responses and understand that these responses may be logically consistent or inconsistent with particular beliefs about emotion.

As the workplace evolves, so too does the body of research supporting that individuals (from interns to managers) with higher EI are better equipped to work cohesively within teams, deal with change more effectively, and manage stress – thus enabling them to more efficiently pursue business objectives.

Goleman (1995) recognized five distinct categories of skills which form the key characteristics of EI and proposed that, unlike one’s intelligence quotient (IQ), these categorical skills can be learned where absent and improved upon where present.

Thus, EI, unlike its relatively fixed cousin, IQ, is instead a dynamic aspect of one’s psyche and includes behavioral traits that, when worked upon, can yield significant benefits, from personal happiness and wellbeing to elevated success in a professional context.

Self-awareness is the first step toward introspective self-evaluation and enables one to identify behavioral and emotional aspects of our psychological makeup which we can then target for change.

Emotional self-awareness is also about recognizing what motivates you and, in turn, what brings you fulfillment.

• Self-regulation: the ability to manage one’s negative or disruptive emotions, and to adapt to changes in circumstance. Those who are skilled in self-regulation excel in managing conflict, adapt well to change and are more likely to take responsibility.
• Motivation: the ability to self-motivate, with a focus on achieving internal or self-gratification as opposed to external praise or reward. Individuals who are able to motivate themselves in this way have a tendency to be more committed and goal focused.
• Empathy: the ability to recognize and understand how others are feeling and consider those feelings before responding in social situations. Empathy also allows an individual to understand the dynamics that influence relationships, both personal and in the workplace.
• Social skills: the ability to manage the emotions of others through emotional understanding and using this to build rapport and connect with people through skills such as active listening, verbal and nonverbal communication.
• Self-awareness: the ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions and their impact on others.

Emotional intelligence has been shown to play a meaningful role in academic success, mental and physical health, as well as attainment in professional domains; the findings of Bar-On (1997) suggested that people with higher EI performed better than those with lower EI in life.

In the modern, agile workplace, there is an ever-increasing emphasis from employers on the importance of EI over academic qualifications.

The importance of EI should not go unappreciated; the ability to understand and manage your emotions is the first step in realizing your true potential. How can we achieve meaningful progress if we don’t recognize and acknowledge the point from where we’re starting? When checking directions on your sat-nav, a destination is useless unless we know the origin.

Whether it be connecting with others and improving interpersonal communication, achieving success in the workplace or social relationships, dealing with stress and improving motivation or refining decision-making skills – emotional intelligence plays a central role in realizing success in both personal and professional life.

The value and benefits of emotional intelligence are vast in terms of personal and professional success. It is a core competency in many vocations, can support the advancement towards academic and professional success, improve relationships, and boost communication skills, the list goes on.

Bar-On (1997) goes so far as to suggest that people with higher EI tend to perform better than those with lower EI in life overall, regardless of IQ. There has been much discussion regarding the benefits of teaching EI in schools , with an emphasis on the idea that emotionally intelligent children grow up to become emotionally intelligent adults.

Proficiency in EI is becoming a vital prerequisite in prolonged or intense areas of ‘emotional work’ such as nursing, social work, the service industry, and management roles. High EI improves the physical and psychological health of people and encourages academic and business performance (Bar-On & Parker, 2000).

Emotional intelligence is an integral part of forming and developing meaningful human relationships. Schutte et al (2001) found that, over a series of studies, there were significant links between high EI and more successful interpersonal relations.

Those participants who exhibited higher levels of EI also showed a greater propensity for empathic perspective taking, cooperation with others, developing affectionate and more satisfying relationships as well as greater social skills in general.

So far, we have focused on the social and psychological benefits of EI, it is important to note that self-awareness – the ability to manage emotions and stress – and the ability to solve personal, as well as interpersonal problems, are also significantly related to physical health.

Chronic stress and the prolonged negative effects which accompany it such as anger, depression, and anxiety can precipitate the onset and progression of hypertension, heart problems, and diabetes; increase susceptibility to viruses, and infections; delay healing of wounds and injuries; and exacerbate conditions such as arthritis and atherosclerosis (Bar-On, 2006, Black & Garbutt, 2002).

The value of EI is immense; developing emotional intelligence encourages many positive traits, from resilience to communication, motivation to stress management, all of which can be seen as conducive to effectively achieving personal, physical and occupational health, and success.

Undoubtedly you know how valuable it is to develop your emotional intelligence abilities, but have you ever wondered exactly why?

Research shows there are many benefits for those with high levels of emotional intelligence, including greater resilience, social skills and connection.

But how do you reach a stage where you can reap these benefits? What barriers stand in your way? How can you help your clients, friends, colleagues, students and even your children develop excellent EI skills?

For answers to all these questions and more, check out our Emotional Intelligence Masterclass© .

Self-Management, Self-Regulation, and EQ

While it’s commonly accepted that our emotions are driven by impulses over which we have little-to-no control, we do have the capacity for self-management and  self-regulation ; the ability to manage – if not control – the resultant emotions and our reactions thereto.

Consider the calm and rational pilot despite the aircraft’s landing gear being jammed or the surgeon who carries on with their duties despite losing a patient.

This form of self-regulation builds on the basis of self-awareness and is an integral part of becoming emotionally intelligent by exercising the capacity to liberate ourselves from impulse-driven reaction (Goleman, 1995).

Self-management builds on this further and allows an individual to use knowledge about their emotions to better manage them in order to self-motivate and to create positive social interactions.

Leaders with an aptitude for self-regulation are far less likely to be aggressively confrontational and make snap decisions. Self-regulation and self-management do not pertain to the absence of anger; rather it’s about remaining in control of your emotions and not allowing your actions to be emotion-driven.

In instances of negative emotions such as anger, EI can help identify what you are feeling and determine the cause of the emotion through reflection and self-analysis allowing one to respond in a rational manner.

Self-regulation is critical in relation to other facets of EI and can be developed from early childhood, adolescence and throughout adulthood. Mastering self-management allows us the opportunity to open the door to the other beneficial aspects of EI while in the absence of self-regulation other competencies, such as effective communication and conflict management, are challenging.

The good news is that it’s never too late to embark on self-management and regulation training; the potential benefits are numerous and should not be underestimated.

The skills enabled through the development of self-regulation can aid success for (but by no means limited to) counselors, psychotherapists, small business owners, managers, and executives.

Those with stronger skills in this area are less likely to become angry or exhibit stress while being more likely to respond calmly to negative environments, harness personal needs in order to achieve goals and remain motivated.

Emotional intelligence is undoubtedly a valuable tool to utilize in the face of adversity; it has the potential to enhance not only leadership abilities and teamwork effectiveness but also personal resilience.

Focusing on the impact of EI on one’s resilience, that is, one’s ability to cope with stressful conditions, research suggests that those who display higher levels of emotional intelligence are less likely to succumb to the negative impacts of stressors.

In the context of a leadership role, one might expect increased responsibility to coincide with elevated potential stressors, highlighting the importance of strong EI for those in leadership or management positions.

An investigation into the relationship between emotional intelligence and the stress process found that participants who displayed higher levels of EI were less likely to be negatively impacted by the presence of stressors.

Participants completed an ability-based test of EI before rating the subjectively perceived threat level posed by two stressors, they then self-reported their emotional reaction to said stressors and were also subjected to physiological stress-response tests in order to assess their response.

In summary, the findings suggested that “ EI facets were related to lower threat appraisals, more modest declines in positive affect, less negative affect and challenge physiological responses to stress… This study provides predictive validity that EI facilitates stress resilience, ” (Schneider, Lyons & Khazon, 2013, pp 909).

Further research suggested a link between higher emotional intelligence, resilience and the propensity for depressive behaviors. In an examination of medical professionals – an occupation with a relatively high ‘burnout’ rate – Olson & Matan (2015) found a positive correlation between EI and resilience as well as a negative correlation between resilience, mindfulness, and self-compassion with the ‘burnout’ rate.

In a nutshell, those with higher levels of emotional intelligence also displayed greater resilience and were less likely to ‘burnout’ or succumb to depression.

These results build on previous research which found EI scores were positively correlated with psychological wellbeing while being negatively correlated with depression and burnout. Given the dynamic nature of EI, the study highlighted the potential ability to reduce one’s susceptibility to depression by way of interventions to increase EI (Lin, Liebert, Tran, Lau, & Salles 2016).

Interestingly, EI is strongly correlated with individual advancement and performance, with evidence suggesting a significant link between one’s resilience and one’s motivation to achieve (Magnano, Craparo & Paolillo, 2016).

Furthermore, it is suggested that resilience plays a mediational role between EI and self-motivated achievement. In other words, emotional intelligence is a prerequisite for resilience, and resilience can lead to greater motivation. Resilience has an underlying perseverance component that motivates endurance in the face of obstacles (Luthans, Avey & Avolio, 2010).

When psychologists began to discuss intelligence, the focus was very much on cognitive aspects relating to memory and problem-solving.

While there had been references to intelligence as having “non-intellective”, as well as “intellective” elements such as affective, personal, and social factors (Wechsler, 1943), historically, the concepts of emotion and intelligence, have been regarded as being mutually exclusive. How can one be intelligent about the emotional aspects of life when emotions can hinder individuals from achieving their goals? (Lloyd, 1979).

In reality, high IQ is no guarantee of success. How successful we are in life is determined by both emotional intelligence and by IQ, though intellect works best when it’s accompanied by high emotional intelligence.

Goleman (1995, 2011) suggests that it is not simply a case of IQ versus EI, instead, both have considerable value. Where IQ tells us the level of cognitive complexity a person can achieve and may to some degree predetermine levels of academic achievement, EI tells us which individuals will make the best leaders within top management positions, for example.

IQ has limited connections to both work and life success. Snarey & Vaillant (1985) suggested it is actually less of a predictor of how well we will do in life than our ability to handle frustration, control emotions, and get along with other people – characteristics not only accounted for but also learnable under current EI theory .

Today, standards of intelligence are still commonly applied to cognitive performance. The misconception that IQ alone is the predictor of success is still very real.

In reality, IQ contributes to around 20% of the factors that determine life success – we all know someone (or perhaps are that person) who has a high IQ yet struggles to do ‘well’. So what accounts for the other 80%? Outwith factors such as social class and plain old luck, Goleman (1995) argued that life success is influenced more by an individual’s ability to engage the 5 aspects of EI detailed above.

While there is much discussion regarding the capability of individuals to improve IQ scores, EI can be developed and refined over time with the condition – just like any skill – that it is given the necessary focus and effort to do so. Many would argue that the ability to connect with and understand others is a more powerful skill to possess than cognitive intellect alone.

In the words of American civil rights activist, Maya Angelou:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

The increasing awareness of emotional intelligence in management-focused literature and leadership training suggests the link between emotional intelligence and job performance not only exists but has value in myriad areas.

The workplace represents a distinct social community, separate from our personal lives, in which there is a growing appreciation that higher EI allows a person to understand themselves and others better, communicate more effectively, and cope with challenging situations.

Utilizing and developing emotional intelligence in the workplace can significantly improve the personal and social capabilities of individuals within that workplace.

EI is about managing emotions in order to improve job performance and, in turn, helping people stay calm and to think logically in order to establish good relationships and achieve goals. There is an undeniable relationship between EI and the way senior executives manage their employees – managers with higher emotional intelligence have the tools at their disposal to not only manage stress but to also recognize and address stress in others.

If we think of emotional intelligence in terms of managing stress and building relationships, the link between emotional intelligence skills and job performance is clear, with stress management positively impacting job commitment and satisfaction.

It is also important to mention that EI does not only apply at management level, likewise, employees lower down the business hierarchy with sophisticated emotional intelligence skills have the desire and ability to establish and maintain high-quality relationships in the workplace (Lopes, Salovey, & Straus, 2003).

Additionally, individuals with high EI are better equipped to effectively manage conflicts and, in turn, sustain relationships within the workplace when compared to those with low to moderate levels of EI.

Increasingly, organizations are recognizing the value of employees who exhibit the skills to cope with change and respond accordingly. EI is an important factor in job performance both on an individual level and a group level. In fact, as an individual moves up an organizational hierarchy, the positive effect of emotional intelligence on coping with situations and doing tasks in effective ways increases (Moghadam, Tehrani & Amin, 2011).

Emotional intelligence matters for motivation, and motivation matters for success. Whether it’s in relation to work, personal goals or health, the emotionally intelligent individual understands the deeper meaning of their aspirations and the self-motivation skills required to achieve them.

Goleman (1995) identified four elements that make up motivation: our personal drive to improve, our commitment to the goals we set for ourselves, our readiness to act on opportunities that present themselves to us and our resilience.

Magnano et al (2016) assert that motivation is the basic psychological process we use to stimulate ourselves into action to achieve a desired outcome. Whether it’s picking up the remote to change the TV channel or dedicating hundreds of hours to delivering a project, without motivation we’d be unable to act.

Motivation arouses, energizes, directs and sustains behavior and performance. Intrinsic motivation, that is, motivation that comes from within, pushes us to achieve our full potential. An Emotionally Intelligent individual not only possesses the skills for self-motivation but also the skills required to motivate others, a useful talent to have especially in management positions.

While self-motivation is central to achieving one’s goals, emotionally intelligent leaders within a business can also impact employee motivation. The capacity to recognize the emotions and, in turn, the concerns of others is an invaluable skill to have at your disposal in terms of realizing the most effective ways to motivate teams and individuals.

In a recent study, the EI levels of first-year medical undergraduates were found to be positively related to self-motivation to study medicine and satisfaction with choosing to study medicine (Edussuriya, Marambe, Tennakoon, Rathnayake, Premaratne, Ubhayasiri, & Wickramasinghe, 2018).

A study of senior managers with high EI employed in public sector organizations found that EI augments positive work attitudes, altruistic behavior, and work outcomes. It seems, unsurprisingly, that happy employees are motivated employees.

The ability to better cope with stress and anxiety, for example, is also a useful EI tool in terms of motivation – if one can recognize the emotions that may have a negative impact on motivation, they can be addressed and managed effectively (Carmeli, 2003).

We all endure stressful days, it’s completely normal and completely manageable if you have the right skills at your disposal. An individual with high Emotional Intelligence has sufficient self-awareness to recognize negative feelings and respond accordingly to prevent escalation. Uncontrolled and misunderstood emotions can exacerbate our vulnerability to other mental health issues, like stress, anxiety, and depression.

The skills associated with emotional intelligence can effectively help individuals deal with negative emotional states like stress and promote more positive emotions in its place. Failure to address and manage stress can lead to a further deterioration of one’s mental state and impact our physical health in turn.

Research into the social, psychological and medical components of stress emphasizes the importance of dealing with negative emotions to effectively cope with stress and in turn, reduce the potential for negative psychological and physical health outcomes.

Ganster & Schaubroeck (1991) consider our working and professional environment as the primary source of the stress, going on to suggest the ability to effectively recognize and deal with emotions and emotional information in the workplace is a vital tool in preventing negative stress and coping with occupational stress.

Emotional intelligence allows us to effectively cope with stress. Furthermore, emotionally intelligent people also have the ability to initially evaluate situations as less stressful.

While this has the obvious effect of lessening the adverse impact thereof, it also results in greater life satisfaction and happiness. Conversely, a deficit in EI and self‐regulation can lead to lower subjective wellbeing and a relatively exaggerated response to stressors.

The intelligent use of emotions is a fundamental mechanism in psychological adaptation and wellbeing. Individuals with higher EI have been found to report lower levels of stress and higher levels of happiness, indicating that the ability to regulate perceived stress directly impacts satisfaction (Ruiz‐Aranda, Extremera & Pineda‐Galán, 2014).

The role of emotional intelligence in perceiving occupational stress and preventing employees of human services from negative health outcomes is essential (Oginska-Bulk, 2005).

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Emotional Intelligence is closely related to personal and professional development, it impacts on more than how we manage our behavior and navigate social complexities, it also affects how we make decisions.

Having an authentic understanding of the emotions we feel and why we are feeling them can have a huge impact on our decision-making abilities, if we can’t look at our emotions objectively how can we avoid making misguided decisions based on them?

Superior emotional intelligence is an important element in the prevention of decision making based on emotional biases, whereas lower EI can create anxiety and lead to poor decisions. It’s not about removing emotions completely from the decision-making process, rather it’s about recognizing the emotions that are unrelated to the problem and not allowing them to be influential to the final result.

Negative emotions can impede problem-solving and decision making both in the workplace and personal circumstances. The ability to recognize emotions that are superfluous to forming a rational decision and having the capacity to effectively disregard said emotions, negating their impact on the final outcome, holds obvious benefits for decision-making processes.

Through a series of questions and observations with a focus on improving EI awareness and using EI skills to enhance the decision-making process, Hess & Bacigalupo (2011) found that organizations and individuals benefitted from the practical application of EI in decision-making scenarios.

The observations suggest EI training is an effective strategy to introduce when developing decision-making skills and aids in understanding the potential consequences of bad decision making.

Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions allows an individual to both manage the feeling and make an objective decision. Imagine you have a disagreement with your partner and go to work angry and a little stressed out, later that day you dismiss a proposal from a colleague without really paying attention to what they’re suggesting – you’re just not in the mood.

This form of emotional interference can be detrimental to the decision-making process, those with more developed EI can identify and manage this kind of emotional interference and avoid emotionally-driven decisions.

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Much like happiness, ask someone to define success and you will probably get more than one answer. Does your career make you successful? Your intelligence? How much money you have? Finding contentment and happiness? Depending on who you ask, it can be anything!

What is clear is that no matter your definition of success, emotional intelligence can play a vital role in achieving it.

As addressed, it isn’t always the most intelligent people who achieve the greatest success. IQ alone is not enough to excel in life. You can be the most intelligent person in the room, but if you don’t have EI do you have the skills to quieten negative thoughts or the mental fortitude to manage stress? Goleman (1995) described EI as being powerful and, at times, more powerful than IQ in predicting success in life.

It’s your Emotional Intelligence that really helps you achieve your goals and attain greater levels of success, developing EI can greatly influence our success by contributing to increased morale, motivation and greater co-operation (Strickland, 2000).

In the workplace, managers who consistently outperform their peers not only have technical knowledge and experience, but more importantly, they utilize the strategies associated with EI to manage conflict, reduce stress and as a result, improve their success.

There is growing evidence that the range of abilities that constitute what is now commonly known as ’emotional intelligence’ play a key role in determining success – both in one’s personal life and in the workplace – with real-life applications extending to parenting, relationships, businesses, medical professionals, service workers and so many more.

Emotional intelligence enables one to manage emotions in anxiety-provoking situations, such as taking exams at school or university and also has positive associations with success in personal relationships and social functioning.

Success within social relationships can be achieved by using EI competencies to detect others’ emotional states, adopt others’ perspectives, enhance communication, and regulate behavior.

If we think of goals as an aim or desired result, we can see how emotional intelligence skills can help one to achieve personal goals and when exercised correctly by leaders and managers, can also help to drive change and progress in the workplace.

The facets of EI are interwoven, to achieve self-actualization, we must first achieve motivation, in order to achieve motivation we must also be happy in what we are doing. Without happiness, it is a challenge to reach the levels of motivation required to achieve our goals. In essence, if we are not motivated how can we expect to achieve our goals?

There is a wealth of management literature emphasizing the importance of utilizing EI in relation to success and performance, with a focus on how individuals with high EI perform better in all aspects of a management role.

The average level of Emotional Intelligence of team members is reflected by the team process effectiveness and in team goal focus, conversely teams with lower EI skills performed at a lower level of goal achievement. (Jordana, Ashkanasyb, Härtelb, & Hooperb, 2007)

In order to produce our best and achieve our goals, we need positive self-regard, heightened emotional self-awareness, effective problem solving and decision-making skills. We must understand clearly what our goals are, and be motivated to accomplish all we can.

Our ability to be aware of and understand our own emotions can aid our awareness and understanding of the feelings of others.

This sensitivity, or lack thereof, impacts our communication capabilities in both personal and work life.

If we consider communication in the workplace, and more specifically, conflict resolution in the workplace, individuals with higher emotional intelligence are more likely to approach conflict resolution in a collaborative manner, working together with others in order to effectively reach a mutually acceptable outcome.

Relationships in the workplace are affected by how we manage our own emotions and our understanding of the emotions of those around us.

The ability to identify, manage, and understand emotions help us communicate without resorting to confrontation. A person with high EI is better equipped to manage conflict and build meaningful relationships given their elevated capacity to understand, and therefore address, the needs of those with whom they engage. (Lopez, 2005).

Emotional intelligence has unquestionably received greater attention in recent years as a driver of effective communication within teams, including the growing area of virtual teams (also known as remote or geographically dispersed teams). If we examine EQ as a predictor of virtual team success, the results support that not only is EQ a driver of team viability, but also positively impacts the quality of communication (De Mio, 2002).

The process of successful communication and, in terms of conflict, successful negotiation are closely linked to high levels of EQ. Where those with low levels of EQ may react defensively in stressful situations and escalate conflict, individuals with higher emotional intelligence have the skills available at their disposal to communicate effectively without resorting to confrontation or escalating tension.

Happiness seems like a simple enough concept, but have you ever tried to define it? Try now – what is happiness? It is more difficult than it seems because it means something different to each of us. While it is true that happiness means distinctly different things to different people, what is clear is that emotional intelligence really does matter for happiness irrespective of your interpretation.

EI facilitators such as happiness contribute to our self-actualization and self-actualization, in turn, contributes to our happiness in a positive feedback loop. Happiness, according to Wechsler (1943), is the key factor that has a positive impact on intelligent behavior.

Studies examining the link between EI and a range of interpersonal relations found that participants with higher EQ scores had higher scores for empathic perspective taking, self-monitoring and social skills, cooperation with partners, relationship satisfaction, and more affectionate relationships. (Schutte, Malouff, Bobik, Coston, Greeson, Jedlicka, Rhodes, & Wendorf, 2001).

By developing the skills for EI one can reduce stress, which consequently has a positive impact on wellbeing and happiness. In addition to its motivational value, happiness monitors one’s immediate wellbeing and interjects positive mood in the way individuals cope with daily demands, challenges, and pressures.

It is this positivity that encourages the emotional energy required to increase one’s motivational level to get things done, in short, it helps individuals to achieve what they want to achieve and tells them how well they are doing (Bar-On, 2001).

Research conducted by Furnham (2003) indicated that a large amount of the variance found in happiness and wellbeing to be determined by people’s emotion-related self-perceptions and dispositions such as the ability to regulate emotions, relationship skills, and social competence.

While these EI skills are not the sole contributor to levels of happiness, it is important to recognize their impact, with over 50% of the total variances in happiness being attributed to emotional intelligence competencies.

From Aristotle to Freud, the emphasis on the optimization of happiness has been thoroughly discussed. To augment happiness one is often required to use more sophisticated behavioral patterns such as self-regulation to subdue instant pleasure motivations.

Contemporary psychological research continues to recognize the need for this form of optimization. Mischel (1974) explicitly taught children how to delay immediate pleasures for greater long-term gain. The ability to delay gratification is important in many aspects of cognitive development given the capacity for such delays encourages an increase in cognitive competence and social maturity.

17 Exercises To Develop Emotional Intelligence

These 17 Emotional Intelligence Exercises [PDF] will help others strengthen their relationships, lower stress, and enhance their wellbeing through improved EQ.

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6 YouTube Videos and TED Talks on Emotional Intelligence

We recommend watching the following videos for more insight into Emotional Intelligence.

The Power of Emotional Intelligence – Travis Bradberry

You aren’t at the mercy of your emotions – your brain creates them – Lisa Feldman Barrett

6 Steps to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence – Ramona Hacker

Learning Human Values Via Emotional Intelligence – Ruby Bakshi Khurdi

Your Forensic Mirror: Applying Emotional Intelligence To Achieve Success – Paula Clarke

The People Currency: Practicing Emotional Intelligence – Jason Bridges

See also: 15 Most Valuable Emotional Intelligence TED Talks on YouTube .

“Emotional intelligence is a way of recognizing, understanding, and choosing how we think, feel, and act. It shapes our interactions with others and our understanding of ourselves. It defines how and what we learn; it allows us to set priorities; it determines the majority of our daily actions. Research suggests it is responsible for as much as 80 percent of the “success” in our lives.”

Joshua Freedman

“If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.”

Daniel Goleman

Maya Angelou

“Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody’s power, that is not easy.”

“Emotional intelligent people use self-awareness to their advantage to assess a situation, get perspective, listen without judgment, process, and hold back from reacting head on. At times, it means the decision to sit on your decision. By thinking over your situation rationally, without drama, you’ll eventually arrive at other, more sane conclusions.”

Marcel Schwantes

“Never stop because you are afraid – you are never so likely to be wrong.”

Fridtjof Nansen

“We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel.”

Marshall B. Rosenberg

“What really matters for success, character, happiness and life long achievements is a definite set of emotional skills – your EQ — not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests.”

“Whatever is begun in anger, ends in shame.”

Benjamin Franklin

“If you are interested in emotions, learning about them will satisfy your curiosity. If you depend upon emotional knowledge in your job, learning more about emotions would likely help.”

“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

Nelson Mandela

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion.”

Dale Carnegie

“It is very important to understand that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head – it is the unique intersection of both.”

David Caruso

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

“It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently.”

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“No doubt emotional intelligence is more rare than book smarts, but my experience says it is actually more important in the making of a leader. You just can’t ignore it.”

“Emotional intelligence is what humans are good at and that’s not a sideshow. That’s the cutting edge of human intelligence.”

Ray Kurzweil

“Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection, and influence.”

Robert K. Cooper

“The strength of character and emotional intelligence to face your failures and learn from them are at the core of success.”

Robert Kiyosaki

“Surround yourself with amazingly intelligent men and women. The people I work with not only are smarter than I am, possessing both intellectual and emotional intelligence, but also share my determination to succeed. I will not make an important decision without them.”

George Steinbrenner

“What I’ve come to realize is that emotional intelligence was the only way I knew how to lead, and is, in my option, the only way to inspire real change.”

Kevin Allen

Find more emotional intelligence quotes here .

Emotional Intelligence is important, the value and benefits of developing your EQ are extensive and in many areas massively under-utilised. Emotional intelligence is the gateway to living a more fulfilled and happy life, and here’s why:

• Emotional intelligence allows you to understand and manage your emotions in order to self-motivate and to create positive social interactions; it’s the first step in realizing your true potential.
• The value and benefits of EI are vast in terms of personal, academic, and professional success.
• Individuals with higher levels of emotional intelligence are less likely to succumb to the negative impacts of stressors, while effectively help individuals deal with negative emotions and promote more positive emotions in its place.
• Intellect works best when it’s accompanied by high emotional intelligence.
• Utilizing and developing emotional intelligence in the workplace can greatly improve both job performance and the social capabilities of individuals within that workplace.
• Emotional Intelligence is a useful skill to prevent making decisions based on emotional biases.
• The process of successful communication and negotiation are closely linked to high levels of EQ.
• Key EI facilitators such as happiness contribute to our self-actualization.

Thanks for reading! I hope you have enjoyed this journey into the world of emotional intelligence and the important role it plays in achieving personal, physical and occupational success.

For further reading:

• 13 Emotional Intelligence Activities & Exercises
• 26 Best Emotional Intelligence Books (Reviews + Summaries)
• The Emotion Wheel: What is It and How to Use it? [+PDF]

We hope you found this article useful. Don’t forget to download our three Emotional Intelligence Exercises for free .

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• Lopes, P. N., Salovey, P., Cote, S. & Beers, M. (2005), Emotion regulation ability and the quality of social interaction. Emotion, 5 (1), 112-121.
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this was very insightful. It will help me make positive change in my institution both to employees and clients. thanks. chao.

Personal awareness can help one develop emotional intelligence which can be developed overtime

This is great because it is a skill that can be developed over time and the results is towards success and more meaningful personal awareness of oneself life in general and the life of an entrepreneur especially

Now i know that helping others develop their own EI is part of my own EI growth as well. i plan to put this into action more intentionally to increase overall productivity.

I think it’s important to remember that emotional intelligence is a skill that can be developed and improved over time. By practicing mindfulness, improving communication skills, and working on self-awareness, individuals can become more emotionally intelligent and ultimately, more successful in all aspects of their lives. Thank You!

The article is powerful, it offers 360 degree of EQ with practical examples.

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3 Emotional Intelligence Exercises (PDF)

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Mia Belle Frothingham

Author, Researcher, Science Communicator

BA with minors in Psychology and Biology, MRes University of Edinburgh

Mia Belle Frothingham is a Harvard University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Sciences with minors in biology and psychology

Learn about our Editorial Process

Saul McLeod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to perceive, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and relationships. It involves being aware of emotions in oneself and others and using this awareness to guide thinking and behavior. Emotionally intelligent individuals can motivate themselves, read social cues, and build strong relationships

Some researchers propose that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others argue it is an inborn characteristic.

The ability to express and manage emotions is essential, but so is the ability to understand, diagnose, and react to the emotions of others. Imagine a world in which one could not understand when a friend felt sad or a classmate was angry.

Why is Emotional Intelligence Critical?

Emotional Intelligence is the “ability to monitor one’s own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior” (Salovey and Mayer, 1990).

Having a higher level of emotional intelligence allows one to empathize with others, communicate effectively, and be both self and socially aware. How people respond to themselves and others impacts all types of environments.

Living in this world signifies interacting with many diverse kinds of individuals and constant change with life-changing surprises.

Being emotionally intelligent is key to how one reacts to what life throws. It is furthermore a fundamental element of compassion and comprehending the deeper reasons behind other people’s actions.

It is not the most intelligent people who are the most prosperous or the most fulfilled in life. Many people are academically genius and yet are socially incompetent and unsuccessful in their careers or their intimate relationships.

Intellectual ability or intelligence quotient (IQ) is not enough on its own to achieve success in life. Undoubtedly, IQ can help one get into university, but your Emotional Intelligence (EI) will help one manage stress and emotions when facing final exams.

IQ and EI exist in tandem and are most influential when they build off one another.

Emotional intelligence is also valuable for leaders who set the tone of their organization. If leaders lack emotional intelligence , it could have more far-reaching consequences, resulting in lower worker engagement and a higher turnover rate.

While one might excel at one’s job technically, if one cannot effectively communicate with one’s team or collaborate with others, those specialized skills will get neglected.

By mastering emotional intelligence, one can positively impact anywhere and continue to advance one’s position and career in life. EI is vital when dealing with stressful situations like confrontation, change, and obstacles.

Emotional intelligence helps one build stronger relationships, succeed at work or school, and achieve one’s career and personal goals, as well as reduce group stress, defuse conflict, and enhance job satisfaction.

It can also help connect with one’s inner feelings, turn purpose into action, and make informed decisions about what matters most to oneself.

During these times, it is essential to remember to practice kindness, and being in touch with our emotions can help us do just that.

Examples of Emotional Intelligence

How does one become emotionally intelligent? Below we will discuss what one can do to learn to improve the skills that are behind emotional intelligence (EI).

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and to reason and problem-solve based on them (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 1999).

By working on and improving these skills, one can become more emotionally intelligent and, therefore, more successful!

Emotional Awareness and Understanding

Self-awareness, or the ability to recognize and comprehend one’s own emotions, is a vital emotional intelligence skill. Beyond acknowledging one’s feelings, however, is being conscious of the effect of one’s actions, moods, and emotions on other people.

According to research by Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist, 95% of individuals believe they are self-aware. Still, only 10 to 15 percent genuinely are, which can cause problems for the people one interacts with.

Being with people who are not self-aware can be frustrating and lead to increased stress and decreased encouragement.

To become self-aware, one must be capable of monitoring one’s emotions while recognizing different emotional reactions and correctly identifying each distinct emotion.

Self-aware individuals also can recognize the connections between the things they feel and how they act.

These individuals also acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses, are open to new data and experiences, and learn from their exchanges with others.

Furthermore, people who maintain self-awareness have a fine sense of humor, are confident in themselves and their capabilities, and know how others perceive them.

Here are some tips on improving one’s self-awareness:

Ask for constructive feedback from others.

Keep a journal of one’s thoughts and feelings.

Practice mindfulness – try meditating.

Pay careful attention to one’s thoughts and emotions.

Pursue one’s passions and do what makes one happy.

Learn new skills and set goals for oneself.

Reflect on one’s experiences and be grateful.

Use positive self-talk daily.

Work on building a growth mindset.

Emotional Self Regulation (Managing Emotions)

In addition to being aware of one’s own emotions and the impact one has on others, emotional intelligence requires one to regulate and manage one’s emotions .

This does not mean taking emotions out of sight and essentially “locking” them away, hence hiding one’s true feelings. It just means waiting for the right time and place to express them. Self-regulation is all about communicating one’s emotions appropriately in context. A reaction tends to be involuntary.

The more in tune one is with one’s emotional intelligence, the easier one can transition from an instant reaction to a well-thought-out response. It is crucial to remember to pause, breathe, compose oneself, and do what it takes to manage one’s emotions.

This could mean anything to oneself, like taking a walk or talking to a friend, so that one can more appropriately and intentionally respond to tension and adversity.

Those proficient in self-regulation tend to be flexible and acclimate well to change. They are also suitable for handling conflict and diffusing uncomfortable or difficult situations.

People with healthy self-regulation skills also tend to have heightened conscientiousness. They reflect on how they influence others and take accountability for their actions.

Here are some tips on improving one’s self-regulation:

Look at challenges as opportunities.

Be mindful of thoughts and feelings.

Build distress and anxiety tolerance skills.

Work on accepting reflections and emotions.

Find ways to manage difficult emotions.

Practice communication and social skills.

Recognize that one has a choice in how one responds.

Use cognitive reframing to change emotional responses and thought patterns.

Social Empathy (Perceiving Emotions)

Empathy , or the capability to comprehend how other people are feeling, is crucial to perfecting emotional intelligence.

However, it involves more than just being able to identify the emotional states of others. It also affects one’s responses to people based on this knowledge.

How does one respond when one senses someone is feeling sad or hopeless? One might treat them with extra care and consideration, or one might make a push to lift their mood.

Being empathetic also allows one to understand the authority dynamics that frequently influence social relationships, especially in the workplace.

This is essential for guiding one’s daily interactions with various people. In fact, it is found that empathy ranks as the number one leadership skill.

Leaders proficient in empathy perform more than 40% higher in coaching, engaging others, and decision-making. In a different study, researchers found that leaders who show more empathy toward their co-workers and constructive criticism are viewed as better performers by their supervisors.

Those competent in this element can recognize who maintains power in different relationships. They also understand how these forces impact feelings and behaviors. Because of this, they can accurately analyze different situations that hinge on such power dynamics.

Here are some tips on improving social empathy:

Be willing to share emotions.

Listen to other people.

Practice meditation.

Engage in a purpose like a community project.

Meet and talk to new people.

Try to imagine yourself in someone else’s place.

Social Skills (Using Emotions)

The ability to interact well with others is another vital aspect of emotional intelligence. Solid social skills allow people to build meaningful relationships with others and develop a more robust understanding of themselves and others.

Proper emotional understanding involves more than just understanding one’s own emotions and those of others. One also needs to put this information to work in one’s daily interactions and communications.

In the workplace or professional settings, managers benefit by being able to build relationships and connections with employees.

Workers benefit from developing a solid rapport with leaders and co-workers. Some prefer to avoid conflict, but it is crucial to address issues as they arise correctly.

Research shows that every unaddressed conflict can waste almost eight hours of company time on unproductive activities, damaging resources and morale. Essential social skills include active listening , verbal communication, nonverbal communication, leadership , and persuasiveness.

Here are some tips on improving social skills:

Ask open-ended questions.

Find icebreakers that will help start conversations.

Practice good eye contact.

Practice active listening with the entire body.

Notice other people’s social skills.

Show interest in others and ask them personal questions.

Watch one’s body language and that of others.

In The Workplace

Emotional intelligence includes showing genuine compassion, empathizing with the needs of individuals, and encouraging the ongoing personal growth of individuals.

When a leader takes into account the emotions of their followers, they then learn how to best engage with them.

1. Lending a Compassionate Ear to a Frustrated Co-Worker

Employees will inevitably get upset, have bad moods, argue, and just generally have bad days. In practice, compassion, understanding, and awareness are definite signs of emotional intelligence.

Awareness of and reacting to other people’s emotional states shows an understanding that all humans experience intense emotions and says that a person’s feelings matter.

2. Listening to Others Respectfully

Ever been to a conference when it seems like everyone is speaking over each other, trying to get the last word?

This is not only an indication of egos taking over and a lack of consideration for others; these are also indications of there being a lack of emotional intelligence.

When individuals are allowed to speak, and others listen without persistent interruptions, it is a good sign of EI. It shows reciprocal respect between parties and is more likely to lead to a productive conclusion in meetings.

3. Being Flexible

Flexibility is a critical term in organizations today. Building flexibility into how people function can be the difference between keeping the best workers and drifting out the door.

Emotionally intelligent leaders comprehend the changing needs of others and are ready to work with them rather than attempting to impose rigid restrictions on how people go about their work.

They do not expect everyone to work the hours they do, hold the same priorities, or live by precisely the same values.

In Healthcare

1. being patient with hurting individuals.

When in healthcare, it is expected that doctors and nurses will have to manage people in pain. Emotional intelligence not only allows for better patient care but also for better self-care.

For instance, if a patient is lashing out, and one can see that they are in pain, one will be far less likely to take their combativeness personally and treat them better.

2. Acting as the Effective Leader

In healthcare, there is a necessity to have influential leaders, a trusting environment with a helpful team, critical thinking, and quality patient and family-centered care.

A higher emotional intelligence will allow healthcare professionals to respond and react better to patients. Studies have shown a correlation between emotional intelligence and positive patient outcomes.

3. Responding Better to Stressful Situations

Multiple occasions in healthcare involve an urgent situation involving a life or death scenario. Doctors and nurses must check their own emotions.

Being in healthcare is a highly emotional career, and being aware of your feelings when they come up is key to effective self-care.

Interacting with patients can cause overwhelming joy or deep sadness, and these fluctuations can be utterly exhausting.

The ability to deal with these feelings, take breaks, and ask for help when you need it is another example of good emotional intelligence that nurses should practice.

Tips for Improving EI

Be more self-aware.

Awareness of one’s emotions and emotional responses to others can significantly improve one’s emotional intelligence. Knowing when one is feeling anxious or angry can help process and communicate those feelings in a way that promotes healthy results.

Recognize how others feel

Emotional intelligence could start with self-reflection, but measuring how others perceive one’s behavior and communication is essential. Adjusting one’s message based on how one is being received is an integral part of being emotionally intelligent.

Practice active listening

People communicate verbally and nonverbally, so listening and monitoring for potentially positive and negative reactions is essential. Taking the time to hear others also demonstrates a level of respect that can form the basis for healthy relationships.

Communicate clearly

Solid communication skills are critical for emotional intelligence. Knowing what to express or write and when to offer information is crucial for building strong relationships.

For instance, as a manager in a work environment, communicating expectations and goals is required to keep everyone on the same page.

Stay positive

A positive attitude is incredibly infectious. Emotionally intelligent people comprehend the power of positive words, encouraging emails, and friendly gestures. When one can also remain positive in a stressful situation, one can help others stay calm. It can also encourage further problem-solving and collaboration.

Thinking about how others might be feeling is an essential quality of emotional intelligence. It means you can empathize with feelings that one may not be feeling oneself and respond in a way that is respectful and relaxing to others.

Be open-minded

Emotionally intelligent people are comfortable to approach because they are good listeners and can consider and understand other viewpoints. They are also receptive to learning new things and embracing novel ideas.

Listen to feedback

It is essential to be the type of person who can hear feedback, whether it is positive on a recent presentation or more critical advice on how you should commission tasks more efficiently.

Being receptive to feedback means taking responsibility for one’s actions and being willing to improve how one communicates with others.

Stay calm under pressure

It is essential to approach stressful situations with a calm and positive attitude. Pressures can quickly escalate, primarily when people are operating under deadlines, so keeping steady and concentrating on finding a solution will help everyone complete their goals.

History of Emotional Intelligence

In the 1930s, psychologist Edward Thorndike explained the concept of “social intelligence” as the ability to get along with other individuals.

During the 1940s, psychologist David Wechsler suggested that different practical elements of intelligence could play a critical role in how successful people are in life.

In the 1950s, the school of thought was known as humanistic psychology, and scholars such as Abraham Maslow concentrated attention on how people could build emotional strength.

Another critical concept to arise in the development of emotional intelligence was the concept of multiple intelligences . This idea was put forth in the mid-1970s by Howard Gardner, presenting the idea that intelligence was more than just a single, broad capacity.

Emotional intelligence did not come into our vernacular until around 1990. The term “emotional intelligence” was first utilized in 1985 as it was presented in a doctoral dissertation by Wayne Payne.

In 1987, there was an article written by Keith Beasley and published in Mensa Magazine that used the term emotional quotient or EQ.

Then in 1990, psychologists John Mayer and Peter Salovey published their milestone article, Emotional Intelligence , in the journal Imagination, Cognition, and Personality .

They described emotional intelligence as the capability to monitor one’s and others’ feelings and emotions, discriminate among them, and use this knowledge to guide one’s thinking and actions.

Salovey and Mayer also initiated a research study to develop accurate measures of emotional intelligence and explore its significance. For example, they found in one investigation that when a group of people saw an upsetting film, those who ranked high on emotional clarity, or the ability to recognize and label a mood that is being experienced, recovered more quickly.

In a different study, people who scored higher in the ability to perceive accurately, understand and appraise others’ emotions were sufficiently capable of responding flexibly to changes in their social environments and building supportive social networks.

But despite it being a relatively new term, attraction to the concept has grown tremendously. In 1995, the concept of emotional intelligence was popularized after the publication of Daniel Goleman’s book  Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is emotional intelligence important in the workplace.

Researchers have indicated that emotional intelligence influences how excellently employees interact with their colleagues, and EI is also considered to play a role in how employees manage stress and conflict.

It also affects overall performance on the job. Other studies have connected emotional intelligence with job satisfaction.

Studies have shown that workers with higher scores on measures of EI also tend to be ranked higher on criteria of interpersonal functioning, leadership abilities, and stress management.

While standard intelligence was associated with leadership success, it alone was not enough. People who are prosperous at work are not just brilliant; they also have a high EI.

But emotional intelligence is not simply for CEOs and senior executives.

It is a quality that is essential at every level of a person’s career, from university students looking for internships to seasoned workers hoping to take on a leadership role.

Emotional intelligence is critical to success if one wants to succeed in the workplace and move up the career ladder.

Can emotional intelligence be taught?

As it turns out, the question whether emotional intelligence can be learned is not a straightforward one to answer.

Some psychologists and researchers claim that emotional intelligence is a skill that is not quickly learned or improved. Other psychologists and researchers, though, believe it can be improved with practice.

One key to improving EI is sustained practice – especially in high-stakes situations. Referring back to the above tips, one could read them and say those guidelines are pretty straightforward.

But, the challenging task is to do these practices in real-time and consistently. It takes practice to develop these skills. Then as you acquire them, you have to rehearse them under stress.

Can emotional intelligence be measured?

Several different assessments have arisen to gauge levels of emotional intelligence. These trials typically fall into one of two types: self-report tests and ability tests.

Self-report tests are the most abundant because they are the quickest to administer and score. Respondents respond to questions or statements on such tests by rating their behaviors.

For example, on a comment such as “I sense that I understand how others are feeling,” a test-taker might describe the statement as strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree.

On the other hand, ability tests involve people responding to situations and assessing their skills. These tests often require people to demonstrate their abilities, which a third party rates.

If one is taking an emotional intelligence trial issued by a mental health professional, here are two measures that could be used: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI).

What is the dark side of emotional intelligence?

The dark side of emotional intelligence is using one’s understanding of emotions manipulatively, to deceive, control, or exploit others.

High emotional intelligence can mask hidden agendas, enabling insincere charm or feigned empathy, potentially leading to deceitful or self-serving actions.

Boyatzis, R. E., & Goleman, D. (2011). Emotional and social competency inventory (ESCI): A user guide for accredited practitioners.  Retrieved December ,  17 , 2019.

Eurich, T. (2018). What self-awareness really is (and how to cultivate it).  Harvard Business Review , 1-9.

Gardner, H. E. (2000). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century . Hachette UK.

Goleman, D. (1996).  Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ . Bloomsbury Publishing.

Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets traditional standards for an intelligence.  Intelligence, 27 (4), 267-298.

Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1993). The intelligence of emotional intelligence.  Intelligence, 17 (4), 433-442.

Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (2007).  Mayer-Salovery-Caruso emotional intelligence test . Toronto: Multi-Health Systems Incorporated.

Payne, W. L. (1985). A study of emotion: developing emotional intelligence; self-integration; relating to fear, pain and desire.

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence .  Imagination, cognition and personality ,  9 (3), 185-211.

Thorndike, R. L., & Stein, S. (1937). An evaluation of the attempts to measure social intelligence.  Psychological Bulletin ,  34 (5), 275.

Wechsler, D., & Kodama, H. (1949).  Wechsler intelligence scale for children  (Vol. 1). New York: Psychological corporation.

Social Intelligence vs. Emotional Intelligence and how making the distinction can help you lead

• Innovation Programs

Intelligence

According to Psychology Today , intelligence is “…a construct that includes problem solving abilities, spatial manipulation and language acquisition.” The American Psychological Association describes the definition of intelligence as all about how well our intellect functions, and what we often measure using IQ tests, aimed at measuring our intelligence quotients. Intelligence measured by IQ tests isn’t the be all and end all. Regardless of the number of languages that you learn to speak, the amount of information you memorize, and even how well you can complete math problems, intelligence inevitably is a more complex measure. Unfortunately , “IQ and technical skills will only get you so far.”

Two types of intelligences that are unmeasurable in IQ tests are pivotal for success in leadership levels in business, and even in innovation, as evidenced in the category for a recent Fast Company article about why venture capitalists look at one of these types of intelligence: innovation agents. These two kinds of intelligence are Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Social Intelligence (SQ) .

Social Intelligence

Psychology Today states that social intelligence “…develops from experience with people and learning from success and failures in social settings. It is more commonly referred to as “tact,” “common sense,” or “street smarts.”

The magazine describes critical traits for people with high SQ:

• They can carry on conversations with a wide array of people and verbally communicate with appropriate and tactful words, also known as “social expressiveness skills.”
• They’re a dept at learning how to play different social roles , and well-versed at the informal rules of the game that are the creed of social interaction.
• They’re known to be excellent listeners .
• They know how to efficiently analyze what makes people tick by paying attention to what they’re saying and how they’re behaving.
• Not only do they know how to learn to play different social roles; they put those skills into practice to feel at ease with many different types of personalities.
• They take care of the impression of themselves they exude on other people . This is the hardest skillset because it requires “…a delicate balance between managing and controlling the image you portray to others and being reasonably “authentic” and letting others see the true self .” 

Emotional Intelligence

In contrast to SQ, Psychology Today describes emotional intelligence as “ … the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others.” Emotional intelligence contains three competencies:

• Emotional awareness
• Applying emotions to processes such as problem-solving and thinking
• Emotion management implied as both being able to help control other peoples’ feelings as well as your own.

While the following video explaining the EQ concept has more concepts than what was in the Psychology Today article, it successfully breaks down this idea that will help you capitalize human ingenuity:

Emotional intelligence, in fact, is now entering the evaluation criteria for venture capitalists. Fast Company recently interviewed eight VCs about five questions they ask startup founders as they look to award funding. They are:

• How often do they consult with others?
• How do they inspire and encourage people?
• How do they handle tough questions?
• Can they stay flexible without losing focus?
• What type of team have they assembled?

The goal from asking these questions related to emotional intelligence is to see how potential founders handle emotions in constantly-changing, fast-paced environments that feel like pressure cookers. Thus, VCs will be more willing to invest in those capable of developing and maintaining long-term relationships.

Keeping these skills in mind will help you in your quest of adapting your team, and even your overall organization, to the pressure-cooker VUCA world .

Together, they are ESI

When EQ and IQ come together, they form ESI, or Emotional and Social Intelligence. ESI competencies are those “…linked to self-awareness, self-management and relationship management, which enable people to understand and manage their own and others’ emotions in social interactions.” What does this combination mean for me? Think about how we said that technical skills and IQ are not enough to differentiate who will be the best leader, while some may wish that was the case. ESI competencies , rather than IQ and technical ones, are responsible for the gap between the performance of those leaders that are great from those just deemed average . Fortunately, while IQ often gets set in stone early on in life, ESI competencies can be learned and improved over time.

So, how are they different?

Both skillsets are critical for embracing innovation. But, when do we use emotional intelligence and when do we use social intelligence? Will Chou breaks it down like this:

Social intelligence , Chou says, is more about the future . Social intelligence came about so that people could survive, and it’s about figuring out the best way for you to get along, and come out of a situation with a favorable outcome . Even if you have the qualifications on paper, a lack of social intelligence could lead to strained or ruined relationships, as well as lost opportunities. As much as you would maybe like to be blunt with someone when giving feedback, you may try to edit your words to try to convey constructive criticism without putting your foot in your mouth.

In contrast, emotional intelligence is more about the present , and thus more closely related to emotions and feelings. By reading someone’s face, you can tell whether that person is happy, incredibly nervous before going into a job interview, or shy because that person happens to be in his or her own corner in the middle of a party.

How does this apply to Innovation for Growth?

EQ and SQ, combined with your IQ, will be key to harnessing the concepts and frameworks in the Innovation for Growth program to tap your most strategic asset: human ingenuity. You’ll be able to get the most out of your team if you know how to build relationships with them and bring them into your overall strategic goals.

Ready to up your SQ and EQ?

If you’re eager to know more about the Innovation for Growth HiOP, click here for your copy of our informational brochure. And if you’re set on joining us in our next intake, get started on your application .

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Why Social and Emotional Learning Is Essential for Students

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Editor's note: This piece is co-authored by Roger Weissberg, Joseph A. Durlak, Celene E. Domitrovich, and Thomas P. Gullotta, and adapted from Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice , now available from Guilford Press.

Today's schools are increasingly multicultural and multilingual with students from diverse social and economic backgrounds. Educators and community agencies serve students with different motivation for engaging in learning, behaving positively, and performing academically. Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances students' ability to succeed in school, careers, and life.

5 Keys to Successful SEL

Research shows that SEL not only improves achievement by an average of 11 percentile points, but it also increases prosocial behaviors (such as kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student attitudes toward school, and reduces depression and stress among students (Durlak et al., 2011). Effective social and emotional learning programming involves coordinated classroom, schoolwide, family, and community practices that help students develop the following five key skills :

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness involves understanding one's own emotions, personal goals, and values. This includes accurately assessing one's strengths and limitations, having positive mindsets, and possessing a well-grounded sense of self-efficacy and optimism. High levels of self-awareness require the ability to recognize how thoughts, feelings, and actions are interconnected.

Self-Management

Self-management requires skills and attitudes that facilitate the ability to regulate one's own emotions and behaviors. This includes the ability to delay gratification, manage stress, control impulses, and persevere through challenges in order to achieve personal and educational goals.

Social Awareness

Social awareness involves the ability to understand, empathize, and feel compassion for those with different backgrounds or cultures. It also involves understanding social norms for behavior and recognizing family, school, and community resources and supports.

Relationship Skills

Relationship skills help students establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships, and to act in accordance with social norms. These skills involve communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking help when it is needed.

Responsible Decision Making

Responsible decision making involves learning how to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse settings. It requires the ability to consider ethical standards, safety concerns, accurate behavioral norms for risky behaviors, the health and well-being of self and others, and to make realistic evaluation of various actions' consequences.

School is one of the primary places where students learn social and emotional skills. An effective SEL program should incorporate four elements represented by the acronym SAFE (Durlak et al., 2010, 2011):

• Sequenced: connected and coordinated sets of activities to foster skills development
• Active: active forms of learning to help students master new skills
• Focused: emphasis on developing personal and social skills
• Explicit: targeting specific social and emotional skills

The Short- and Long-Term Benefits of SEL

Students are more successful in school and daily life when they:

• Know and can manage themselves
• Understand the perspectives of others and relate effectively with them
• Make sound choices about personal and social decisions

These social and emotional skills are some of several short-term student outcomes that SEL pro­grams promote (Durlak et al., 2011; Farrington et al., 2012; Sklad et al., 2012). Other benefits include:

• More positive attitudes toward oneself, others, and tasks including enhanced self-efficacy, confidence, persistence, empathy, connection and commitment to school, and a sense of purpose
• More positive social behaviors and relationships with peers and adults
• Reduced conduct problems and risk-taking behavior
• Decreased emotional distress
• Improved test scores, grades, and attendance

In the long run, greater social and emotional competence can increase the likelihood of high school graduation, readiness for postsecondary education, career success, positive family and work relationships, better mental health, reduced criminal behavior, and engaged citizenship (e.g., Hawkins, Kosterman, Catalano, Hill, & Abbott, 2008; Jones, Greenberg, & Crowley, 2015).

Building SEL Skills in the Classroom

Promoting social and emotional development for all students in classrooms involves teaching and modeling social and emotional skills, providing opportunities for students to practice and hone those skills, and giving students an opportunity to apply these skills in various situations.

One of the most prevalent SEL approaches involves training teachers to deliver explicit lessons that teach social and emotional skills, then finding opportunities for students to reinforce their use throughout the day. Another curricular approach embeds SEL instruction into content areas such as English language arts, social studies, or math (Jones & Bouffard, 2012; Merrell & Gueldner, 2010; Yoder, 2013; Zins et al., 2004). There are a number of research-based SEL programs that enhance students' competence and behavior in developmentally appropriate ways from preschool through high school (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2013, 2015).

Teachers can also naturally foster skills in students through their interpersonal and student-centered instructional interactions throughout the school day. Adult-student interactions support SEL when they result in positive student-teacher relationships, enable teachers to model social-emotional competencies for students, and promote student engagement (Williford & Sanger Wolcott, 2015). Teacher practices that provide students with emotional support and create opportunities for students' voice, autonomy, and mastery experiences promote student engagement in the educational process.

How Schools Can Support SEL

At the school level, SEL strategies typically come in the form of policies, practices, or structures related to climate and student support services (Meyers et al., in press). Safe and positive school climates and cultures positively affect academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes for students (Thapa, Cohen, Guffey, & Higgins­-D'Alessandro, 2013). School leaders play a critical role in fostering schoolwide activities and policies that promote positive school environments, such as establishing a team to address the building climate; adult modeling of social and emotional competence; and developing clear norms, values, and expectations for students and staff members.

Fair and equitable discipline policies and bullying prevention practices are more effective than purely behavioral methods that rely on reward or punishment (Bear et al., 2015). School leaders can organize activities that build positive relationships and a sense of community among students through structures such as regularly scheduled morning meetings or advisories that provide students with opportunities to connect with each other.

An important component of schoolwide SEL involves integration into multi-tiered systems of support. The services provided to students by professionals such as counselors, social workers, and psychologists should align with universal efforts in the classroom and building. Often through small-group work, student support professionals reinforce and supplement classroom-based instruction for students who need early intervention or more intensive treatment.

Building Family and Community Partnerships

Family and community partnerships can strengthen the impact of school approaches to extending learning into the home and neighborhood. Community members and organizations can support classroom and school efforts, especially by providing students with additional opportunities to refine and apply various SEL skills (Catalano et al., 2004).

After-school activities also provide opportunities for students to connect with supportive adults and peers (Gullotta, 2015). They are a great venue to help youth develop and apply new skills and personal talents. Research has shown that after-school programs focused on social and emotional development can significantly enhance student self-perceptions, school connectedness, positive social behaviors, school grades, and achievement test scores, while reducing problem behaviors (Durlak et al., 2010).

SEL can also be fostered in many settings other than school. SEL begins in early childhood, so family and early childcare settings are important (Bierman & Motamedi, 2015). Higher education settings also have the potential to promote SEL (Conley, 2015).

For more information about the latest advances in SEL research, practice and policy, visit the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning website .

• Bear, G.G., Whitcomb, S.A., Elias, M.J., & Blank, J.C. (2015). "SEL and Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports." In J.A. Durlak, C.E. Domitrovich, R.P. Weissberg, & T.P. Gullotta (Eds.), Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning . New York: Guilford Press.
• Bierman, K.L. & Motamedi, M. (2015). "SEL Programs for Preschool Children". In J.A. Durlak, C.E. Domitrovich, R.P. Weissberg, & T.P. Gullotta (Eds.), Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning . New York: Guilford Press.
• Catalano, R.F., Berglund, M.L., Ryan, J.A., Lonczak, H.S., & Hawkins, J.D. (2004). "Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs." The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591 (1), pp.98-124.
• Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2013). 2013 CASEL Guide: Effective social and emotional learning programs - Preschool and elementary school edition . Chicago, IL: Author.
• Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2015). 2015 CASEL Guide: Effective social and emotional learning programs - Middle and high school edition . Chicago, IL: Author.
• Conley, C.S. (2015). "SEL in Higher Education." In J.A. Durlak, C.E. Domitrovich, R.P. Weissberg, & T.P. Gullotta (Eds.), Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning . New York: Guilford Press.
• Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). "The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions." Child Development, 82 , pp.405-432.
• Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., & Pachan, M. (2010). "A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to promote personal and social skills in children and adolescents." American Journal of Community Psychology, 45 , pp.294-309.
• Farrington, C.A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T.S., Johnson, D.W., & Beechum, N.O. (2012). Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance: A Critical Literature Review . Consortium on Chicago School Research.
• Gullotta, T.P. (2015). "After-School Programming and SEL." In J.A. Durlak, C.E. Domitrovich, R.P. Weissberg, & T.P. Gullotta (Eds.), Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning . New York: Guilford Press.
• Hawkins, J.D., Kosterman, R., Catalano, R.F., Hill, K.G., & Abbott, R.D. (2008). "Effects of social development intervention in childhood 15 years later." Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 162 (12), pp.1133-1141.
• Jones, D.E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2015). "Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness." American Journal of Public Health, 105 (11), pp.2283-2290.
• Jones, S.M. & Bouffard, S.M. (2012). "Social and emotional learning in schools: From programs to strategies." Social Policy Report, 26 (4), pp.1-33.
• Merrell, K.W. & Gueldner, B.A. (2010). Social and emotional learning in the classroom: Promoting mental health and academic success . New York: Guilford Press.
• Meyers, D., Gil, L., Cross, R., Keister, S., Domitrovich, C.E., & Weissberg, R.P. (in press). CASEL guide for schoolwide social and emotional learning . Chicago: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.
• Sklad, M., Diekstra, R., Ritter, M.D., Ben, J., & Gravesteijn, C. (2012). "Effectiveness of school-based universal social, emotional, and behavioral programs: Do they enhance students' development in the area of skill, behavior, and adjustment?" Psychology in the Schools, 49 (9), pp.892-909.
• Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Gulley, S., & Higgins-D'Alessandro, A. (2013). "A review of school climate research." Review of Educational Research, 83 (3), pp.357-385.
• Williford, A.P. & Wolcott, C.S. (2015). "SEL and Student-Teacher Relationships." In J.A. Durlak, C.E. Domitrovich, R.P. Weissberg, & T.P. Gullotta (Eds.), Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning . New York: Guilford Press.
• Yoder, N. (2013). Teaching the whole child: Instructional practices that support social and emotional learning in three teacher evaluation frameworks . Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research Center on Great Teachers and Leaders.
• Zins, J.E., Weissberg, R.P., Wang, M.C., & Walberg, H.J. (Eds.). (2004). Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? New York: Teachers College Press.

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Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important in Leadership

• 03 Apr 2019

The technical skills that helped secure your first promotion might not guarantee your next. If you aspire to be in a leadership role, there’s an emotional element you must consider. It’s what helps you successfully coach teams, manage stress, deliver feedback, and collaborate with others.

It’s called emotional intelligence, and it's one of the most sought-after interpersonal skills in the workplace. In fact, 71 percent of employers value emotional intelligence more than technical skills when evaluating candidates.

Access your free e-book today.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you. The term was first coined in 1990 by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey but was later popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman.

More than a decade ago, Goleman highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, telling the Harvard Business Review , “The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They do matter, but...they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions.”

Check out our video on emotional intelligence below, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!

Over the years, emotional intelligence—also known as EQ—has evolved into a must-have skill. Research by EQ provider TalentSmart shows that it's the strongest predictor of performance, further illustrating why emotional intelligence is important. Employees with high emotional intelligence are more likely to stay calm under pressure , resolve conflict effectively, and respond to co-workers with empathy.

How to Identify a Lack of Emotional Intelligence

A lack of emotional intelligence skills often results in workplace conflicts and misunderstandings. This dynamic often stems from an inability to recognize or comprehend emotions.

One of the most common indicators of low emotional intelligence is difficulty managing and expressing emotions. You might struggle with acknowledging colleagues' concerns appropriately or wrestle with active listening.

Consider the relationships you have with your co-workers. Ask yourself:

• Are your conversations strained?
• Do you repeatedly blame others when projects don’t go as planned?
• Are you prone to outbursts?

These are all signs of a lack of emotional intelligence.

It's important to cultivate social skills by understanding and practicing empathy and the core components of emotional intelligence.

The Four Components of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is typically broken down into four core competencies:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Relationship management

To develop your emotional intelligence , it’s important to understand what each element entails. Here's a deeper dive into the four categories.

1. Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is at the core of everything. It describes your ability to not only understand your strengths and weaknesses, but to recognize your emotions and their effect on you and your team’s performance.

According to research by organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich , 95 percent of people think they’re self-aware, but only 10 to 15 percent actually are, and that can pose problems for your employees. Working with colleagues who aren’t self-aware can cut a team’s success in half and, according to Eurich’s research, lead to increased stress and decreased motivation.

To bring out the best in others, you first need to bring out the best in yourself, which is where self-awareness comes into play. One easy way to assess your self-awareness is by completing 360-degree feedback, in which you evaluate your performance and then match it up against the opinions of your boss, peers, and direct reports. Through this process, you’ll gain insights into your own behavior and discover how you’re perceived in the organization.

2. Self-Management

Self-management refers to the ability to manage your emotions, particularly in stressful situations, and maintain a positive outlook despite setbacks. Leaders who lack self-management tend to react and have a harder time keeping their impulses in check.

A reaction tends to be automatic. The more in tune you are with your emotional intelligence, however, the easier you can make the transition from reaction to response. It's important to pause, breathe, collect yourself, and do whatever it takes to manage your emotions—whether that means taking a walk or calling a friend—so that you can more appropriately and intentionally respond to stress and adversity.

Related : 4 Tips for Growing Your Professional Network

3. Social Awareness

While it’s important to understand and manage your emotions, you also need to know how to read a room. Social awareness describes your ability to recognize others’ emotions and the dynamics in play within your organization.

Leaders who excel in social awareness practice empathy. They strive to understand their colleagues’ feelings and perspectives, which enables them to communicate and collaborate more effectively with their peers.

Global leadership development firm DDI ranks empathy as the number one leadership skill , reporting that leaders who master empathy perform more than 40 percent higher in coaching, engaging others, and decision-making. In a separate study by the Center for Creative Leadership , researchers found that managers who show more empathy toward their direct reports are viewed as better performers by their bosses.

By communicating with empathy, you can better support your team, all while improving your individual performance.

4. Relationship Management

Relationship management refers to your ability to influence, coach, and mentor others, and resolve conflict effectively.

Some prefer to avoid conflict, but it’s important to properly address issues as they arise. Research shows that every unaddressed conflict can waste about eight hours of company time in gossip and other unproductive activities, putting a drain on resources and morale.

If you want to keep your team happy, you need to have those tough conversations. In a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management , 72 percent of employees ranked “respectful treatment of all employees at all levels” as the top factor in job satisfaction.

How to Strengthen Your Emotional Intelligence

As a leader, strengthening your emotional intelligence requires strong self-awareness. There are several ways you can develop self-awareness, including:

• Journaling : Record and reflect daily on how your emotions influenced your decision-making, interactions, and meetings—whether positive or negative—so you know what to repeat or avoid in the future.
• Undergo a 360-degree assessment : Actively seek feedback from your manager, colleagues, and peers while also undergoing an individual self-assessment. Comparing the results will surface any blindspots or leadership gaps.
• Practice active listening : Put away distractions, focus on what the speaker is saying, and show you’re engaged by paraphrasing and using non-verbal cues like nodding.
• Pay attention to your emotions : If you start feeling a particularly strong emotion, reflect on why you’re feeling that way and what prompted the strong emotional response. This will help you become more aware of your emotions and better understand your colleagues’ feelings and perspectives.
• Take an online course or training : Dive deeper into emotional intelligence through a flexible online program, such as HBS Online’s Leadership Principles course, which provides a 360-degree assessment to help you better understand your strengths and weaknesses.

These foundational steps in self-awareness and empathy are essential for building a robust emotional intelligence framework. They set the stage for a deeper exploration of the four core competencies crucial for effective leadership.

How Emotional Intelligence Can Make Leaders More Effective

Leaders set the tone of their organizations. If they lack emotional intelligence, it could have more far-reaching consequences, resulting in lower employee engagement and a higher turnover rate.

While you might excel at your job technically, if you can’t effectively communicate with your team or collaborate with others, those technical skills will get overlooked.

Emotional intelligence can enhance your ability to manage interpersonal relationships, which is crucial for fostering positive team dynamics, empathy, and effective collaboration. By mastering emotional intelligence, you can continue to advance your career and organization .

Do you want to enhance your leadership skills ? Download our free leadership e-book and explore our online course Leadership Principles to discover how you can become a more effective leader and unleash the potential in yourself and others.

This post was updated on June 11, 2024. It was originally published on April 3, 2019.

About the Author

Emotional Intelligence: A Literature Review Of Its Concept, Models, And Measures

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• 6(10):2254-2275
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• Banaras Hindu University

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A New Layered Model on Emotional Intelligence

Athanasios s. drigas.

1 Net Media Lab, Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Greece

Chara Papoutsi

2 Net Media Lab, Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications, NCSR Demokritos, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Greece; [email protected]

Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been an important and controversial topic during the last few decades. Its significance and its correlation with many domains of life has made it the subject of expert study. EI is the rudder for feeling, thinking, learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. In this article, we present an emotional–cognitive based approach to the process of gaining emotional intelligence and thus, we suggest a nine-layer pyramid of emotional intelligence and the gradual development to reach the top of EI.

1. Introduction

Many people misinterpret their own emotional reactions, fail to control emotional outbursts, or act strangely under various pressures, resulting in harmful consequences to themselves, others, and society. Other people have a greater ability to perform sophisticated information processing about emotions and emotion-relevant stimuli and to use this information as a guide for their own thoughts and behaviors and for others, in general [ 1 ].

Emotional intelligence (EI) is of great interest to scientists and researchers. Studies, from the past till today, continue to be made about the nature of emotional intelligence, its measurement, its structure, its positive and negative effects, and its relationship to many research fields [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Its influence on daily life in the short and long-term is important as well.

Intellectual ability is significant to succeed in everyday life within many different sectors [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Intelligence is an important aspect of the mind that includes a lot of cognitive abilities such as one’s abilities in logic, planning, problem-solving, adaptation, abstract thinking, understanding of ideas, language use, and learning [ 13 , 14 ]. However, there are some other important components that contribute to the aforementioned success including social capabilities, emotional adaptation, emotional sensitivity, empathy, practical intelligence, and incentives [ 15 , 16 ]. EI also focuses on the character and aspects of self-control, such as the ability to delay pleasures, the tolerance to frustrations, and the regulation of impulses (ego strength) [ 17 ]. Emotional intelligence also speaks to many areas of the psychological sciences—for example, the neuroscience of emotion, the theory of self-regulation, and metacognition—as well as the search for human cognitive abilities beyond what is traditionally known as academic intelligence [ 18 , 19 ].

In this paper, we are going to present the most discussed theories of intelligence, of emotions, and of emotional intelligence. We then present the construction of a 9-layer model (pyramid) of emotional intelligence which aims to show the levels a human must pass in order to reach the upper level of EI—emotional unity. The stratification of the pyramid of emotional intelligence is in tune with the pyramid of the functions of general intelligence [ 20 ].

2. Research Findings

2.1. theories of intelligence.

The structure, nature, and characteristics of human intelligence have been discussed and have been the subject of debate since the time of Plato and Aristotle, at least a thousand years ago. Plato defined intelligence as a “learning tune” [ 21 , 22 ]. Under this concept, Plato and Aristotle put forth the three components of mind and soul: intellect, sentiment, and will [ 23 ]. The word “intelligence” comes from two Latin words: intellegentia and ingenium. The first word, considered in the way Cicero used the term, means “understanding” and “knowledge”. The second word means “natural predisposition” or “ability” [ 24 ].

At various points in recent history, researchers have proposed different definitions to explain the nature of intelligence [ 22 ]. The following are some of the most important theories of intelligence that have emerged over the last 100 years.

Charles Spearman [ 25 ] developed the theory of the two factors of intelligence using data factor analysis (a statistical method) to show that the positive correlations between mental examinations resulted from a common underlying agent. Spearman suggested that the two-factor theory had two components. The first was general intelligence, g , which affected one’s performance in all mental tasks and supported all intellectual tasks and intellectual abilities [ 25 , 26 ]. Spearman believed that the results in all trials correlated positively, underlying the importance of general intelligence [ 25 , 27 ]. The second agent Spearman found was the specific factor, s . The specific factor was associated with any unique capabilities that a particular test required, so it differed from test to test [ 25 , 26 ]. Regarding g , Spearman saw that individuals had more or less general intelligence, while s varied from person to person in a job [ 28 ]. Spearman and his followers gave much more importance to general intelligence than to the specific agent [ 25 , 29 ].

In 1938, American psychologist Louis L. Thurstone suggested that intelligence was not a general factor, but a small set of independent factors that were of equal importance. Thurstone formulated a model of intelligence that centered on “Primary Mental Abilities” (PMAs), which were independent groups of intelligence that different individuals possessed in varying degrees. To detect these abilities, Thurstone and his wife, Thelma, thought up of a total of 56 exams. They passed the test bundle to 240 students and analyzed the scores obtained from the tests with new methods of Thurstone’s method of analysis. Thurstone recognized seven primary cognitive abilities: (1) verbal understanding, the ability to understand the notions of words; (2) verbal flexibility, the speed with which verbal material is handled, such as in the production of rhymes; (3) number, the arithmetic capacity; (4) memory, the ability to remember words, letters, numbers, and images; (5) perceptual speed, the ability to quickly discern and distinguish visual details, and the ability to perceive the similarities and the differences between displayed objects; (6) inductive reasoning, the extraction of general ideas and rules from specific information; and (7) spatial visualization, the ability to visualize with the mind and handle objects in three dimensions [ 30 , 31 ].

Joy Paul Guilford extended Thurstone’s work and devoted his life to create the model for the structure of intelligence. SI (Structure of Intellect theory, 1955) contains three dimensions: thought functions, thought content, and thought products. Guilford described 120 different kinds of intelligence and 150 possible combinations. He also discovered the important distinction between convergent and divergent thought. The convergent ability results in how well one follows the instructions, adheres to rules, and tries. The divergent ability decreases depending on whether or not one follows the instructions or if one has a lot of questions, and it usually means that one is doing the standard tests badly [ 32 , 33 ].

The Cattell-Horn Gf-Gc and the Carroll Three-Stratum models are consensual psychometric models that help us understand the construction of human intelligence. They apply new methods of analysis and according to these analyses, there are two basic types of general intelligence: fluid intelligence (gf) and crystallized intelligence (gc). Fluid intelligence represents the biological basis of intelligence. How fast someone thinks and how well they remember are elements of fluid intelligence. These figures increase in adulthood but as we grow older they decrease. Fluid intelligence enables a person to think and act quickly, to solve new problems, and to encode short-term memories. Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, is the knowledge and skills acquired through the learning process and through experience. Crystallized abilities come from learning and reading and are reflected in knowledge trials, general information, language use (vocabulary), and a wide variety of skills. As long as learning opportunities are available, crystallized intelligence may increase indefinitely during a person’s life [ 14 , 34 ].

In the 1980s, the American psychologist Robert Sternberg proposed an intelligence theory with which he tried to extend the traditional notion of intelligence. Sternberg observed that the mental tests that people are subjected to for various intelligence measurements are often inaccurate and sometimes inadequate to predict the actual performance or success. There are people who do well on the tests but not so well in real situations. Likewise, the opposite occurred as well. According to Sternberg’s triarchic (three-part) theory of intelligence, intelligence consists of three main parts: analytical intelligence, creative intelligence, and practical intelligence. Analytical intelligence refers to problem-solving skills, creative intelligence includes the ability to handle new situations using past experiences and current skills, and practical intelligence refers to the ability to adapt to new situations and environments [ 35 , 36 ].

In 1983, psychologist Howard Gardner introduced his theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI), which, at that time, was a fundamental issue in education and a controversial topic among psychologists. According to Gardner, the notion of intelligence as defined through the various mental tests was limited and did not depict the real dimensions of intelligence nor all the areas in which a person can excel and succeed. Gardner argued that there is not only one kind of general intelligence, but rather that there are multiple intelligences and each one is part of an independent system in the brain. The theory outlines eight types of “smart”: Linguistic intelligence (“word smart”), Logical–mathematical intelligence (“number/reasoning smart”), Spatial intelligence (“picture smart”), Bodily–Kinesthetic intelligence (“body smart”), Musical intelligence (“music smart”), Interpersonal intelligence (“people smart”), Intrapersonal intelligence (“self smart”), and Naturalist intelligence (“nature smart”) [ 37 , 38 ].

2.2. Emotions

According to Darwin, all people, irrespective of their race or culture, express emotions using their face and body with a similar way as part of our evolutionary heritage [ 39 , 40 ]. Emotion is often defined as a complex feeling which results in physical and psychological changes affecting thought and behavior. Emotions include feeling, thought, nervous system activation, physiological changes, and behavioral changes such as facial expressions. Emotions seem to dominate many aspects of our lives as we have to recognize and to respond to important events related to survival and/or the maintenance of prosperity and, therefore, emotions serve various functions [ 41 ]. Emotions are also recognized as one of the three or four fundamental categories of mental operations. These categories include motivation, emotion, cognition, and consciousness [ 42 ]. Most major theories of emotion agree that cognitive processes are a very important source of emotions and that feelings comprise a powerful motivational system that significantly influences perception, cognition, confrontation, and creativity [ 43 ]. Researchers have been studying how and why people feel emotion for a long time so various theories have been proposed. These include evolutionary theories [ 44 , 45 ], the James-Lange Theory [ 46 , 47 ], the Cannon-Bard Theory [ 48 ], Schacter and Singer’s two-factor theory [ 49 , 50 ], and cognitive appraisal [ 51 ].

2.3. Emotional Intelligence

Anyone can become angry-that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way-this is not easy. —Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics

Thorough research has indicated the important role that emotions play in our lives in many fields [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 ]. Researchers have found that Emotional Intelligence is equal to or sometimes much more important than I.Q [ 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 ]. Emotion and intelligence are heavily linked [ 61 , 62 , 63 ]. If you are aware of your own and others’ feelings, this will help you manage behaviors and relationships and predict success in many sectors [ 64 , 65 , 66 ].

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and use emotions positively to manage anxiety, communicate well, empathize, overcome issues, solve problems, and manage conflicts. According to the Ability EI model, it is the perception, evaluation, and management of emotions in yourself and others [ 67 ]. Emotional Intelligence (EI), or the ability to perceive, use, understand, and regulate emotions, is a relatively new concept that attempts to connect both emotion and cognition [ 68 ].

Emotional Intelligence first appeared in the concept of Thorndike’s “social intelligence” in 1920 and later from the psychologist Howard Gardner who, in 1983, recommended the theory of multiple intelligence, arguing that intelligence includes eight forms. American psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer, who together introduced the concept in 1990 [ 69 ], define emotional intelligence “as the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions”. People who have developed their emotional intelligence have the ability to use their emotions to direct thoughts and behavior and to understand their own feelings and others’ feelings accurately. Daniel Goleman, an American writer, psychologist, and science journalist, disclosed the EI concept in his book named “Emotional Intelligence” [ 58 , 59 , 60 ]. He extended the concept to include general social competence. Goleman suggested that EI is indispensable for the success of one’s life.

Mayer and Salovey suggested that EI is a cognitive ability, which is separate but also associated with general intelligence. Specifically, Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, and Sitarenios [ 70 ] suggested that emotional intelligence consists of four skill dimensions: (1) perceiving emotion (i.e., the ability to detect emotions in faces, pictures, music, etc.); (2) facilitating thought with emotion (i.e., the ability to harness emotional information in one’s thinking); (3) understanding emotions (i.e., the ability to understand emotional information); and (4) managing emotions (i.e., the ability to manage emotions for personal and interpersonal development). These skills are arranged hierarchically so that the perceptual emotion has a key role facilitating thinking, understanding emotions, and managing emotions. These branches are arising from higher order basic skills, which are evolved as a person matures [ 67 , 71 ].

According to Bar-On emotional-social intelligence is composed of emotional and social abilities, skills and facilitators. All these elements are interrelated and work together. They play a key role in how effectively we understand ourselves and others, how easily we express ourselves, but also in how we deal with daily demands [ 72 ].

Daniel Goleman (1998) defines Emotional Intelligence/Quotient as the ability to recognize our own feelings and those of others, to motivate ourselves, and to handle our emotions well to have the best for ourselves and for our relationships. Emotional Intelligence describes capacities different from, but supplementary to, academic intelligence. The same author introduced the concept of emotional intelligence and pointed out that it is composed of twenty-five elements which were subsequently compiled into five clusters: Self Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills [ 61 , 73 ].

Petrides and Furnham (2001) developed the Trait Emotional Intelligence model which is a combination of emotionally-related self-perceived abilities and moods that are found at the lowest levels of personality hierarchy and are evaluated through questionnaires and rating scales [ 74 ]. The trait EI essentially concerns our perceptions of our inner emotional world. An alternative tag for the same construct is trait emotional self-efficacy. People with high EI rankings believe that they are “in touch” with their feelings and can regulate them in a way that promotes prosperity. These people may enjoy higher levels of happiness. The trait EI feature sampling domain aims to provide complete coverage of emotional aspects of personality. Trait EI rejects the idea that emotions can be artificially objectified in order to be graded accurately along the IQ lines [ 75 ]. The adult sampling domain of trait EI contains 15 facets: Adaptability, Assertiveness, Emotion perception (self and others), Emotion expression, Emotion management (others’), Emotion regulation, Impulsiveness (low), Relationships, Self-esteem, Self-motivation, Social awareness, Stress management, Trait empathy, Trait happiness, and Trait optimism [ 76 ].

Research on emotional intelligence has been divided into two distinct areas of perspectives in terms of conceptualizing emotional competencies and their measurements. There is the ability EI model [ 77 ] and the trait EI [ 74 ]. Research evidence has consistently supported this distinction by revealing low correlations between the two [ 64 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 ].

EI refers to a set of emotional abilities that are supposed to foretell success in the real world above and beyond general intelligence [ 82 , 83 ]. Some findings have shown that high EI leads to better social relationships for children [ 84 ], better social relations for adults [ 85 ], and more positive perception of individuals from others [ 85 ]. High EI appears to influence familial relationships, intimate relationships [ 86 ], and academic achievement positively [ 87 , 88 ]. Furthermore, EI consistently seems to predict better social relations during work performance and in negotiations [ 89 , 90 ] and a better psychological well-being [ 91 ].

3. The Pyramid of Emotional Intelligence: The Nine-Layer Model

Τaking into consideration all the theories of the past concerning pyramids and layer models dealing with EI, we analyze the levels of our pyramid step by step ( Figure 1 ), their characteristics, and the course of their development so as to conquer the upper levels, transcendence and emotional unity, as well as pointing out the significance of EI. Our model includes features from both constructions (the Ability EI and the Trait EI model) in a more hierarchical structure. The ability level refers to awareness (self and social) and to management. The level of trait refers to the mood associated with emotions and the tendency to behave in a certain way in emotional states considering other important elements that this construction includes as well. The EI pyramid is also based on the concepts of intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences of Gardner [ 92 , 93 ].

The emotional intelligence pyramid (9-layer model).

3.1. Emotional Stimuli

Every day we receive a lot of information-stimuli from our environment. We need to incorporate this information and the various stimuli into categories because they help us to understand the world and the people that surround us better [ 94 ]. The direct stimulus of emotions is the result of the sensorial stimulus processing by the cognitive mechanisms [ 95 , 96 , 97 ]. When an event occurs, sensorial stimuli are received by the agent. The cognitive mechanisms process this stimulus and produce the emotional stimuli for each of the emotions that will be affected [ 98 ]. Emotional stimuli are processed by a cognitive mechanism that determines what emotion to feel and subsequently produce an emotional reaction which may influence the occurrence of the behavior. Emotional stimuli are generally prioritized in perception, are detected more quickly, and gain access to conscious awareness [ 99 , 100 ]. The emotional stimuli constitute the base of the pyramid of emotional intelligence pointing to the upper levels of it.

3.2. Emotion Recognition

The next level of the pyramid after the emotional stimuli is the recognition of emotions simultaneously expressed at times. Accuracy is higher when emotions are both expressed and recognized. Emotion recognition includes the ability to accurately decode the expressions of others’ feelings, usually transmitted through non-verbal channels (i.e., the face, body, and voice). This ability is positively linked to social ability and interaction, as non-verbal behavior is a reliable source of information on the emotional states of others [ 101 ]. Elfenbein and Ambady commented that emotion recognition is the most “reliably validated component of emotional intelligence” linked to a variety of positive organizational outcomes [ 102 ]. The ability to express and recognize emotions in others is an important part of the daily human interaction and interpersonal relationships as it is a representation of a critical component of human socio-cognitive capacities [ 103 ].

3.3. Self-Awareness

Socrates mentions in his guiding principle, “know thyself”. Aristotle also mentioned “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”. These two ancient Greek aphorisms encompass the concept of self-awareness, a cognitive capacity, which is the following step in our pyramid after having conquered the previous two. Self-Awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including your strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motives, and feelings [ 104 ]. As you develop self-awareness, you are able to change your thoughts which, in turn, allow you to change your emotions and eventually change your actions. Crisp and Turner [ 105 ] described self-awareness as a psychological situation in which people know their traits, feelings, and behaviors. Alternatively, it can be defined as the realization of oneself as an individual entity. Developing self-awareness is the first step to develop your EI. The lack of self-awareness in terms of understanding ourselves and having a sense of ourselves that has roots in our own values impedes our ability to self-manage and it is difficult, if not impossible, to know and to respond to the others’ feelings [ 61 ]. Daniel Goleman [ 106 , 107 ] recognized self-awareness as emotional consciousness, accurate self-esteem, and self-confidence. Knowing yourself means having the ability to understand your feelings, having an accurate self-assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses, and showing self-confidence. According to Goleman, self-awareness must be ahead of social awareness, self-management, and relationship management which are important factors of EI.

3.4. Self-Management

Once you have clarified your emotions and the way they can affect the situations and other people, you are ready to move to the EQ area of self-management. Self-management allows you to control your reactions so that you are not driven by impulsive behaviors and feelings. With self-management, you become more flexible, more extroverted, and receptive, and at the same time less critical on situations and less reactionary to people’s attitudes. Moreover, you know more about what to do. When you have recognized your feelings and have accepted them, you are then able to manage them much better. The more you learn on the way to manage your emotions, the greater your ability will be to articulate them in a productive way when need be [ 108 ]. This does not mean that you must crush your negative emotions, but if you realize them, you can amend your behavior and make small or big changes to the way you react and manage your feelings even if the latter is negative. The second emotional intelligence (EQ) quadrant of self-management consists of nine key components: (1) emotional self-control; (2) integrity; (3) innovation and creativity; (4) initiative and prejudice to action; (5) resilience; (6) achievement guide; (7) stress management; (8) realistic optimism and (9) intentionality [ 80 , 106 , 107 , 109 ].

3.5. Social Awareness—Empathy—The Discrimination of Emotions

Since you have cultivated the ability to understand and control your own emotions, you are ready to move on to the next step of recognizing and understanding the emotions of people around you. Self-Management is a prerequisite for Social-Awareness. It is an expansion of your emotional awareness. Social Awareness refers to the way people handle relationships and awareness of others’ feelings, needs, and concerns [ 110 ]. The Social Awareness cluster contains three competencies: Empathy, Organizational Awareness, Service Orientation [ 107 ]. Being socially aware means that you understand how you react to different social situations, and effectively modify your interactions with other people so that you achieve the best results. Empathy is the most important and essential EQ component of social awareness and is directly related to self-awareness. It is the ability to put oneself in another’s place (or “shoes”), to understand him as a person, to feel him and to take into account this perspective related to this person or with any person at a time. With empathy, we can understand the feelings and thoughts of others from their own perspective and have an active role in their concerns [ 111 ]. The net result of social awareness is the ongoing development of social skills and a personal continuous improvement process [ 107 , 112 , 113 ]. Discrimination of emotions belongs to that level of the pyramid because it is a rather intellectual ability that gives people the capacity to discriminate with accuracy between different emotions and label them appropriately. The latter in relation to the other cognitive functions contributes to guide thinking and behavior [ 77 ].

3.6. Social Skills—Expertise

After having developed social awareness, the next level in the pyramid of emotional intelligence that helps raising our EQ is that of social skills. In emotional intelligence, the term social skills refers to the skills needed to handle and influence other people’s emotions effectively to manage interactions successfully. These abilities range from being able to tune into another person’s feelings and understand how they feel and think about things, to be a great collaborator and team player, to expertise at emotions of others and at negotiations. It is all about the ability to get the best out of others, to inspire and to influence them, to communicate and to build bonds with them, and to help them change, grow, develop, and resolve conflict [ 114 , 115 , 116 ]. Social skills under the branch of emotional intelligence can include Influence, Leadership, Developing Others, Communication, Change Catalyst, Conflict Management, Building Bonds, Teamwork, and Collaboration [ 61 ]. Expertise in emotions could be characterized as the ability to increase sensitivity to emotional parameters and the ability not only to accurately determine the relevance of emotional dynamics to negotiation but also the ability to strategically expose the emotions of the individual and respond to emotions stemming from others [ 117 ].

3.7. Self-Actualization—Universality of Emotions

As soon as all six of these levels have been met, the individual has reached the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; Self-Actualization. Every person is capable and must have the will to move up to the level of self-actualization. Self-Actualization, according to Maslow [ 118 , 119 , 120 ], is the realization of personal potential, self-fulfillment, pursuing personal development and peak experiences. It is important to note that self-actualization is a continual process of becoming, rather than a perfect state one reaches such as a ‘happy ever after” [ 121 ]. Carl Rogers [ 122 , 123 ] also created a theory that included a “growth potential” whose purpose was to incorporate in the same way the “real self” and the “ideal self”, thereby cultivating the appearance of the “fully functioning person”. Self-actualization is one of the most important EI skills. It is a measure of your sense that you have a substantial personal commitment to life and that you are offering the gifts to your world that are most important for you. Reuven Bar-On [ 124 ] illustrates the close relationship between emotional intelligence and self-actualization. His research led him to conclude that “you can actualize your potential capacity for personal growth only after you are socially and emotionally effective in meeting your needs and dealing with life in general”. Self-actualizers feel empathy and kinship towards humanity as a whole and therefore, that cultivates the universality of emotions, so that those they have emotional intelligence in one culture probably have emotional intelligence in another culture too and they have the ability to understand the difference of emotions and their meanings despite the fact that sometimes emotions are culturally dependent [ 125 , 126 ].

3.8. Transcendence

Maslow also proposed that people who have reached self-actualization will sometimes experience a state he referred to as “transcendence”. In the level of Transcendence, one helps others to self-actualize, find self-fulfillment, and realize their potential [ 127 , 128 ]. The emotional quotient is strong and those who have reached that level try to help other people understand and manage their own and others’ emotions too. Transcendence refers to the much higher and more comprehensive or holistic levels of human consciousness, by behaving and associating, as ends rather than as means, to ourselves, to important others, to human in general, to other species, to nature, and to the world [ 129 ]. Transcendence is strongly correlated with self-esteem, emotional well-being and global empathy. Self-transcendence is the experience of seeing yourself and the world in a way that is not impeded by the limits of one’s ego identity. It involves an increased sense of meaning and relevance to others and to the world [ 130 , 131 ]. In his perception of transcendence Plato affirmed the existence of absolute goodness that he characterized as something that cannot be described and it is only known through intuition. His ideas are divine objects that are transcendent of the world. Plato also speaks of gods, of God, of the cosmos, of the human soul, and of that which is real in material things as transcendental [ 132 ]. Self-transcendence can be expressed in various ways, behaviors and perspectives like the exchange of wisdom and emotions with others, the integration of physical/natural changes of aging, the acceptance of death as part of life, the interest in helping others and learning about the world, the ability to leave your losses behind, and the finding of spiritual significance in life [ 133 ].

3.9. Emotional Unity

Emotional unity is the final level in our pyramid of emotional intelligence. It is an intentionally positive oriented dynamic, in a sense that it aims towards reaching and keeping a dominance of emotions, which inform the subject that he or she is controlling the situation or the setting in an accepted shape. This reached level of emotional unity in the subject can be interpreted as an outcome of emotional intelligence [ 134 ]. The emotional unity is an internal harmony. In emotional unity one feels intense joy, peace, prosperity, and a consciousness of ultimate truth and the unity of all things. In a symbiotic world, what you do for yourself, you ultimately do for another. It all starts with our love for ourselves, so that we can then channel this important feeling to everything that exists around us [ 135 ]. Not only in human beings, but also in animals, plants, oceans, rocks, and so forth. All it takes is to see the spark of life and miracle in everything and be more optimistic. The point is that somehow, we are all interconnected, and the more we delve deeper our heart and follow it, the less likely it will be for us to do things that can harm others or the planet in general [ 136 ]. The others are not separate from us. Emotional unity emanates humility and empathy that bears with the imperfections of the other. Plato in Parmenides also talks about unity [ 137 ], Being, and One. As Parmenides writes: “Being is ungenerated and indestructible, whole, of one kind and unwavering, and complete. Nor was it, nor will it be, since now it is, all together, one, continuous…” [ 138 , 139 ].

4. Cognitive and Metacognitive Processes in the Emotional Intelligence Pyramid

Cognition encompasses processes such as attention, memory, evaluation, problem-solving language, and perception [ 140 , 141 ]. Cognitive processes use existing knowledge and generate new knowledge. Metacognition is defined as the ability to monitor and reflect upon one’s own performance and capabilities [ 142 , 143 ]. It is the ability of individuals to know their own cognitive functions in order to monitor and to control their learning process [ 144 , 145 ]. The idea of meta-cognition relies on the distinction between two types of cognitions: primary and secondary [ 146 ]. Metacognition includes a variety of elements and skills such as Metamemory, Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, and Self-Monitoring [ 144 , 147 ].

Metacognition in Emotional Intelligence means that an individual perceives his/her emotional skills [ 148 , 149 ]. Its processes involve emotional-cognitive strategies such as awareness, monitoring, and self-regulation [ 150 ]. Apart from the primary emotion, a person can experience direct thoughts that accompany this emotion as people may have additional cognitive functions that monitor a given emotional situation [ 151 ], they may evaluate the relationship between emotion and judgment [ 152 ], and they may try to manage their emotional reaction [ 153 ] for the improvement of their own personality and that will motivate them to help other people for better interpersonal interactions. Applying the meta-knowledge to socio-emotional contexts should lead to the opportunity to learn to correct one’s emotional errors and to promote the future possibility of a proper response to the situation while maintaining and cultivating the relationship [ 154 ].

In the pyramid of Emotional Intelligence, to move from one layer to another, cognitive and metacognitive processes are occurred ( Figure 2 ).

The cognitive and metacognitive processes to move from a layer to another.

5. Discussion & Conclusions

Emotional Intelligence is a very important concept that has come back to the fore in the last decades and has been the subject of serious discussions and studies by many experts. The importance of general intelligence is neither underestimated nor changed, and this has been proven through many surveys and studies.

On the other hand, however, we must also give emotional intelligence the place it deserves. The cultivation of emotional intelligence can contribute to and provide many positive benefits to people’s lives in accordance with studies, surveys, and with what has been already mentioned. When it comes to happiness and success in life, emotional intelligence (EQ) matters just as much as intellectual ability (IQ) [ 60 ]. Furthermore, it should be noted that despite the various discussions about emotional intelligence, studies have shown that emotional abilities that make up emotional intelligence are very important for the personal and social functioning of humans [ 83 ]. A core network of brain regions such as the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex is the key to a range of emotional abilities and plays a crucial role for human lesions [ 155 ]. Specific Emotional Intelligence components (Understanding Emotions and Managing Emotions) are directly related to the structural microarchitecture of major axial pathways [ 156 ].

With emotional intelligence you acknowledge, accept, and control your emotions and emotional reactions as well as those of other people. You learn about yourself and move on to the understanding of other people’s self. You learn to coexist better, which is very important since we are not alone in this world and because when we want to advance ourselves, and society as a whole, there must be cooperation and harmony. With emotional intelligence, you learn to insist, to control your impulses, to survive despite adversities and difficulties, to hope for and to have empathy. Emotional Intelligence provides you with a better inner world to cope with the outside world according to Trait EI [ 157 ]. It involves and engages higher cognitive functions such as attention, memory, regulation, reasoning, awareness, monitoring, and decision-making. The results show that negative mood and anticipated fear are two factors of the relationship between trait EI and risk-taking in decision-making processes among adults [ 158 ]. Research has also shown this positive correlation between emotional intelligence and cognitive processes and this demonstrates the important role that emotional intelligence plays with emotion and cognition, thus, empowering individuals and their personality and benefitting the whole society [ 159 , 160 , 161 , 162 , 163 , 164 ].

Αs we rise through the levels of the pyramid of emotional intelligence that we have presented, we step closer to its development to the fullest extent, to the universality of emotions, to emotional unity. The human being is good at trying to reach the last level of the pyramid because at each level he cultivates significant emotional, cognitive, and metacognitive skills that are important resources for the successes in one’s personal life, professional life, interpersonal relationships, and in life in general.

Emotional intelligence is a skill that can be learned and developed [ 165 , 166 ]. The model of emotional intelligence has been created with a better distinct classification. It is a more structured evaluation and intervention model with hierarchical levels to indicate each level of emotional intelligence that everyone is at and with operating procedures to contribute to the strengthening of that level and progressive development of the individual to the next levels of emotional intelligence. It is a methodology for the further development and evolution of the individual. This model can have practical applications as an evaluation, assessment, and training tool in any aspect of life such as interpersonal relationships, work, health, special education, general education, and academic success. Researchers claim that an emotional mind is important for a good life as much as an intelligent mind and, in certain cases, it matters more [ 167 ]. The ultimate goal should be to develop Emotional Intelligence, do further research on the benefits of such an important capacity and the correlations between the layered Emotional Intelligence model and other variables.

In this paper, we presented the pyramid of Emotional Intelligence as an attempt to create a new layer model based on emotional, cognitive, and metacognitive skills. In essence, each higher level of the pyramid is an improvement toward one’s personal growth and a higher state of self-regulation, self-organization, awareness, consciousness, attention, and motivation.

Author Contributions

A.S.D. and C.P. contributed equally in the conception, development, writing, editing, and analysis of this manuscript. The authors approved the final draft of the manuscript.

This research received no external funding.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Emotional Intelligence Essay | Essay on Emotional Intelligence for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Emotional Intelligence Essay:  Emotional intelligence is the capability and the ability to understand and manage your own emotions in a positive manner. It is a positive way to release stress and communicate effectively. It helps to make relations stronger.

It is as important as intellectual ability. It helps to connect with feelings and turns intentions into actions. It is a helping hand in achieving personal goals.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Emotional Intelligence for Students and Kids in English

We are providing the students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic of Emotional Intelligence Essay for reference.

Long Essay on Emotional Intelligence 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Emotional Intelligence is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Emotional intelligence is one of the essential components of leadership and an inbuilt ability of an individual to perceive the emotions and feelings of other people. It is also known as emotional quotient or EQ. It is defined as the capability of individuals to identify their own emotions. To discern between different feelings and to use the appropriate emotional guide to label each feeling and emotion in the correct way forms a part of emotional intelligence.

Empathy is an emotion that is somewhat related to emotional intelligence because it relates to an individual who connects their personal experiences with those of others. Emotional intelligence is commonly divided into four attributes which include self attributes in which a person can control his impulsive feelings and behaviour and manage his or her emotions in healthy ways. The second attribute is self-awareness, where the person gets to recognize his emotions and the thoughts that affect his behaviour.

The third attribute of emotional intelligence is social awareness. The person has empathy and can understand emotions, needs and concerns of other people. The person who has empathy can pick up on emotional cues and is able to recognize the power of dynamics in a group. The last attribute is the aspect of relationship management. This attribute helps to develop and maintain good relationships and to communicate early and manage a conflict.

Emotional intelligence has its affects. High emotional intelligence helps to navigate the social complexities of the workplace or place of education and helps to motivate others and excel in a career. Emotional intelligence helps to manage emotions. If the emotions are not handled properly, then the stress will not be handled ideally. Being in proper tune with emotions, a social purpose can be served. It helps to connect to people all around the world.

The skills that make up emotional intelligence can be learned at any time. There lies a difference between learning emotional intelligence and applying it in your daily life activities. In order to permanently change behaviour to stand up to pressure, one needs to learn how to overcome stress to be emotionally aware.

Self-awareness is an essential feature of emotional intelligence. It helps an individual to know their own strengths and use them wisely. In today’s scenario, emotional intelligence is one of the most significant aspects to reach the goal and succeed in life. Emotional intelligence leads to general happiness.

Having emotional intelligence leads to a satisfied and peaceful mind. It also leads to rationality in behaviour. With this aspect, a person can see the situation under which the behaviour takes place in the right perspective. With such a perspective, the person can establish the right relationship. Studies say that people with high EI have more excellent mental health, better job performance, leadership skills and better personality traits.

High emotional intelligence helps to deal with low self-esteem and helps a person to upgrade his life and have a better living scenario.

Short Essay on Emotional Intelligence 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Emotional Intelligence is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Emotional intelligence or emotional quotient is an aspect or an ability to manage emotions in a positive way. It also defines the capability of managing the emotion of others. Emotional intelligence generally includes three skills which are, emotional awareness, the ability to harness a person or others’ emotions and regulating them.

There is no validated psychometric test or scale for emotional intelligence. A highly emotional intelligent individual is both highly conscious of his or her own emotional states, like negativity, frustration or sadness and being able to manage those aspects and emotions.

It is a crucial component of leadership. It is considered to be one of the most vital indicators of workplace performance. Studies have shown that 90% of top performers possess high emotional intelligence. There are online courses and training that an individual can undertake to boost the emotional intelligence and perform better in life and reach their desired goal.

10 Lines on Emotional Intelligence Essay in English

1. Building emotional intelligence helps an individual to coach teams effectively at a workplace. 2. Writing down thoughts of your entire day, be it negative or positive will help to spot behavioural patterns of an individual. 3. Daniel Goleman’s work on emotional intelligence points out five areas of intelligence. 4. A person with high emotional intelligence can express himself openly and respectfully without the fear of offending his co-workers. 5. High emotional intelligence can navigate complex and challenging decision making with the ideal emotional response. 6. Emotional intelligence impacts every aspect of a career to be successful. 7. Psychologists Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer coined the term “emotional intelligence” in the year 1990. 8. It is a critical factor in leadership effectiveness. 9. Emotional intelligence takes diligence and practice to incorporate into interactions on a daily basis. 10. It helps to identify a person’s triggers.

FAQ’s on Emotional Intelligence Essay

Question 1. What are the four types of emotional intelligence?

Answer: The four types of emotional intelligence are social awareness, self-awareness, self-management and relationship management.

Question 2. How is Emotional Intelligence different from Regular Intelligence?

Answer: Emotional intelligence is the ability to express and control emotions. Regular intelligence is used to define academic abilities.

Question 3.  Does emotional intelligence matter in the workplace?

Answer: Yes, emotional intelligence matters in the workplace.

Question 4.  Why do we take up the topic of emotions in the context of business?

Answer: Emotions drive behaviour, thus by engaging with the emotions of your team, you are more likely to be successful in your interaction.

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More From Forbes

Why storytelling is an emotional intelligence cheat code.

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Research links storytelling to being more engaging, being more persuasive, and feeling happier and ... [+] less stressed.

Our brains are so story-driven that we build stories where they don’t exist. In a classic study , a group of people viewed a boring film. Two triangles and a circle moved across the screen. A rectangle remained in place. When asked what they saw, 33 of 34 people spun emotion-centered stories about the shapes.

• The circle was “worried”
• The “little triangle” was an “innocent young thing” (creepy)
• The big triangle was “blinded by rage and frustration"

This bizarre tendency to weave a story out of moving shapes isn’t so bizarre if you think about it. Our brains are hardwired to think and communicate in stories.

Since we are hardwired to think in stories, the ability to recognize stories and use them to communicate is invaluable. Research links storytelling to being more engaging, being more persuasive , and feeling happier and less stressed .

So how exactly can you use storytelling to your advantage? Perhaps the most effective way is to think about storytelling as an emotional intelligence (EQ) strategy.

The Link Between Storytelling and EQ

Storytelling impacts each of the four core EQ skills:

Self-Awareness: The stories we tell ourselves shape who we are and what we believe we are capable of.

Self-Management: By reshaping the stories you tell yourself, you can improve your motivation and happiness.

Social Awareness: The stories we tell ourselves about other people can be flawed. To avoid bias, learn to recognize when you’re creating a story based on flimsy data, assumptions, or judgments.

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Relationship Management: Be more engaging, communicative, and persuasive by learning to tell a good story.

Storytelling directly impacts each of the four core skills of emotional intelligence.

Now, let’s break down how you can use storytelling to improve across each of the four core skills.

Self-Awareness: Learn to Recognize and Understand the Stories You Tell Yourself

We constantly build stories about ourselves. These stories affect how we think about ourselves, how we think about others, and how we react to the world around us. Esther Perel, a psychotherapist renowned for her work on human relationships, considers stories to be a telltale sign of a successful therapy session. “People come in with a story. Of why they’re stuck. Of what they think is making it painful. I consider [it] a good session [when someone] comes in with one story and leaves with another,” she explained in a recent interview . “Because when you tell a different story, you open up the possibility for a new experience.”

Recognizing the stories you tell yourself is a huge component of self-awareness. By learning to recognize the stories you tell yourself, and why you tell them, you can boost your self-awareness.

Strategy: Journal about the stories you tell yourself. Calendar out fifteen minutes every Friday for the next month. During those fifteen minutes, answer each of the following questions in a journal:

• What was a challenge I faced this week?
• What story was I telling myself about my ability to handle that challenge?
• How many behaviors can I connect to the story I was telling myself? Name specific examples.
• Can I think of behaviors that tell a different story? Name specific examples.
• Why might I be telling myself this story?

Self-Management: Take Control of Your Self-Talk to Reshape Your Stories

Self-awareness is about recognizing the stories we tell ourselves. Self-management is about reshaping those stories. In an interview with Oprah, psychologist Brene Brown points out how quickly we can begin to tell ourselves harmful stories, especially in a moment of struggle. She says, “We are neurobiologically hardwired to make sense of that fall, to make sense of that hurt, as fast as we can. And if we can come up with a story that makes sense of it, our brain chemically rewards us for that story, whether it’s accurate or not.” The only way to disrupt those harmful stories is to stop and ask yourself, “What story am I telling myself right now?”

One of the best ways to do this is to monitor and rephrase your self-talk. Self-talk is the little phrases or images that you play in your head. Negative self-talk tends to deal in absolutes (“I always” or “I am an idiot”). Learn to catch your negative self-talk and rephrase it to be positive, realistic, and concise.

Here are a few examples:

“I’m not ready.” → “I’m excited to learn and grow.”

“I’m an idiot.” → “I made a mistake and learned from it.”

“I always give bad presentations.” → “I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to give a good presentation.”

Strategy: Practice catching and rephrasing your self-talk. Reflect on and write down an example of negative self-talk. Write down an example that comes up often (ideally daily). Then, use the conditions mentioned previously to write out a positive reframe.

Social Awareness: Learn to Recognize and Understand The Stories You Tell Yourself About Others

Social awareness hinges on the stories we tell ourselves about others . The stories we tell ourselves about other people dictate our ability to empathize with others and understand where they’re coming from. Similar to self-awareness, the best way to build your social awareness is to recognize and understand the stories you tell.

• What was a story I told myself about __ person this week? Try to choose someone you work with.
• Is my story in any way judgmental? Am I making any assumptions?

Relationship Management: Use Stories to Be More Persuasive

Author Stuart Dybek described the power of stories saying , “Why do we tell stories? Because they make us remember.” Since stories are memorable and engaging, they serve as one of the most powerful communication tools at our disposal. Storytelling can help you communicate your ideas in a memorable way. It can help you be more motivating and visionary as a leader. And it can help you be more persuasive and emotionally resonant.

So how do you tell a good story? The key lies in the structure. Nail the structure and you can be sure you’ll keep people engaged and evoke an emotional reaction. And, importantly, the structure can be quite simple.

Strategy: Practice using the “Status Quo,” “Conflict,” “Resolution” framework to craft engaging stories. Here’s an example to use as a template:

Status Quo: Author Mona Awad finishes her first book. It’s a success, and she begins to write her next book.

Conflict: Halfway through, Awad’s agent tells her she doesn’t like the book. Furthermore, she tells Awad that she doesn’t think the book will sell and she won’t represent it. Awad has to choose: 1. She can scrap the book and write something new that her agent will like. 2. She can continue forward with the book, knowing it may not succeed.

Resolution: Awad chooses option two even though she’s afraid to write a book that doesn’t get published. She finds that by letting go of the opinion of her agent, she actually writes better than ever. She’s less restrained and more willing to take creative risks. When she finishes, she finds a new agent, the book becomes a bestseller, and she even sells the movie rights.

Putting These Strategies to Practice

To use our innate storytelling tendencies to your advantage, start implementing each of the strategies in this article. As an added bonus, you’ll be sure to grow your EQ in the process.

Kevin Kruse is the Founder + CEO of LEADx , a leadership development company that specializes in emotional intelligence training. Kevin is also a New York Times bestselling author of Great Leaders Have No Rules , 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management , and Employee Engagement 2.0 .

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• DOI: 10.33645/cnc.2023.12.45.12.1371
• Corpus ID: 266886696

A Study on the Impact of Physical Self-concept and Emotional Intelligence of Dance Participants on After-school Education: Focused of the Mediating Effect of Self-expression

• Published in The Korean Society of Culture… 31 December 2023
• Education, Psychology
• The Korean Society of Culture and Convergence

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The Myths of Successful Expatriation: Does Higher Emotional Intelligence Lead to Better Cultural Intelligence?

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Shanshi Liu

Why superior ability sometimes leads to expatriation failure? MNCs are facing the selection dilemma that expatriates are equipped with the strongest capability, but they still underperform. To address the puzzle, we explored the nonlinear relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and cultural intelligence (CI), and further examined its effects on expatriation outcomes. Drawing from cognitive-appraisal theory, results revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between EI and motivational CI, and a positive relationship between EI and behavioral CI. Perceived cultural distance (PCD) is found to moderate these relationships. In addition, EI correlates with expatriates' sociocultural adjustment and satisfaction with remuneration and benefit. This study contributes to expatriation literature and offers valuable insights for MNCs by unveiling an intriguing pattern: the strongest ability does not always equate to the best fit.

Keywords: Expatriate success, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, perceived cultural distance

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

South China University of Technology ( email )

Wushan Guangzhou, AR 510640 China

Ying Zhang (Contact Author)

Yunnan university of finance and economics ( email ).

Longquan Road 237, Wuhua District Kunming, 650221 China

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The effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major: a randomized clinical trial

• Bahareh Ahmadian 1 ,
• Monir Ramezani 2 , 3 ,
• Zahra Badiei 4 &
• Saeed Vaghee 5  

BMC Pediatrics volume  24 , Article number:  591 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

Thalassemia is one of the most common genetic disorders. Patients with beta-thalassemia major confront serious clinical and psychosocial challenges in their all lives, which require coping strategies. It appears that psychological interventions are necessary to improve their coping skills. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies in adolescents with beta- thalassemia major.

This randomized clinical trial study involved 60 teenagers with beta- thalassemia major who were divided equally into intervention and control groups. The experimental group participated in 9 sessions of an emotional intelligence program consisting of 90 min, held both virtually and in person, two sessions per week. We investigated problem-focused and emotion-focused (including positive emotion-focused and negative emotion-focused) coping strategies of both groups of adolescents using the Billings and Moos questionnaire before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21. Then, according to the research objectives, independent t-tests, Chi-square, Mann–Whitney, repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni test were used.

In experimental group, the mean score of problem-focused (problem-solving, cognitive evaluation) and positive emotion-focused (social support) coping increased from ( 14.2  ±  2.6) and (5.0  ±  0.5) before the intervention to ( 29.6  ±  3.1) and (10.9  ±  1.3) one month after the intervention, respectively ( P  < 0.001). However, the mean score of emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition (negative emotion-focused) decreased from ( 13.8  ±  1.7 ) and ( 6.7  ±  1.5 ) before the intervention to ( 8.6  ±  2.0 ) and ( 3.8  ±  1.8 ) one month after the intervention, respectively ( P  < 0.001). While the mean score of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies before and one month after the intervention remained stable in the control group.

Conclusions

Adolescents with beta-thalassemia suffer from psychosocial disorders and they also cope maladaptive with their illness. Applying emotional intelligence has improved their coping strategies. Caregivers should be encouraged to assess coping skills in teenagers with beta-thalassemia major and use methods such as emotional intelligence to improve them. Therefore, it can help these adolescents to deal effectively with stress and complications of the disease.

Trial registration number

IRCT20210521051356N1 (17/06/2021).

Peer Review reports

Thalassemia is a heritable disorder characterized by a defect in the production or non-production of the globin chain of hemoglobin [ 1 ,  2 ]. This synthetic defect leads to severe anemia, requiring regular blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy [ 3 ]. Thalassemia is the most prevalent inherited hemoglobin disease reported in more than 60 countries [ 1 ]. This chronic disease has great incidence in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia [ 4 ]. Iran is a country with about 26,000 patients with thalassemia, and its frequency is between 2.5% and 15% in different regions of the country [ 5 ].

Patients with Beta-thalassemia and their families bear a significant psychosocial burden throughout their lives [ 6 ], which is especially important during childhood [ 4 ]. These children suffer from physical, social, emotional and school problems [ 7 ]. Physical problems such as chronic anemia, bone deformities, growth retardation, delayed physical maturation, and short height cause poor body image and lack of self-confidence [ 3 , 8 ]. Also, they face social problems such as separation from family, physical and facial deformities, fear of death, and limitations in social activities, schoolwork, and play which can lead to depression and anxiety in these children [ 9 ]. Children with thalassemia think they are different from their friends and have negative beliefs about their lives. Therefore, they feel guilty, highly nervous, and low self-respect [ 7 ]. On the other hand, adolescents with thalassemia not only have to cope with the transition from childhood to adulthood and all the challenges that come with it, but also have to adapt to thalassemia and its treatment [ 10 ]. Therefore, coping with their emotional problems requires adaptive coping skills [ 11 ].

Coping is considered a response to reduce the emotional, physical and psychological distress related to challenging life situations and daily bothers [ 12 ]. Lazarus and Folkman (1980) defined coping as the cognitive and behavioral efforts to overcome, tolerate, or decrease external and internal demands and conflicts between them [ 13 ]. Coping strategies can be divided into two types: problem-solving strategies involve actively reducing challenging conditions, whereas emotion-focused coping strategies aim to manage the emotional impact of stressful or potentially stressful situations [ 14 ]. Effective coping styles alleviate emotional distress, while inappropriate coping strategies exacerbate the negative effects of stress [ 15 ]. Results of different studies indicate that children suffering from long-lasting illnesses are less able to cope adaptive with the disease and its side effects [ 1 , 5 , 12 ]. In the treatment of chronic diseases, the patient`s ability to effectively manage the burden of long-lasting illness in daily life can play an impressive role in treatment outcomes [ 1 ,  16 ]. According to the importance of coping skills and the use of maladaptive coping strategies in dealing with stress in beta-thalassemia patients, more attention should be paid to improving coping strategies.

Bar-On & Parker (2000) describe coping strategies and adaptability as important components of emotional intelligence [ 17 ]. Salovey and Mayer (1990) introduced emotional intelligence as the ability to observe feelings and emotions of individuals and others, to differentiate between them, and to use this data to guide one`s beliefs and activities [ 18 ]. According to the Bar-On model, emotional intelligence includes emotionally and socially-related skills and abilities that specify how to understand and represent oneself, realize other people and communicate with them, and cope with everyday demands [ 19 ]. Bar-On identified 5 components of emotional intelligence that comprise 15 subscale, including: Intrapersonal (comprising self-regard, emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, independence, and self-actualization); Interpersonal (comprising empathy, social responsibility, and interpersonal relationship); Stress management (comprising stress tolerance and impulse control); Adaptability (comprising reality-testing, flexibility, and problem-solving); and General mood (comprising optimism and happiness) [ 19 ]. The results of some studies found that there was a significant correlation between emotional intelligence and coping strategies [ 14 , 20 , 21 ]. However, other studies indicate that there was not a meaningful relation between emotional intelligence and coping skills [ 17 , 22 ]. According to the importance of coping with complications of beta-thalassemia major, specific conditions of these patients and also the limitations of studies in this field in Iran, the purpose of the study was to examine the effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major.

Study design and setting

This was a randomized clinical trial study conducted to investigate the effects of applying emotional intelligence components on problem-focused and emotion-focused (including positive emotion-focused and negative emotion-focused) coping strategies in adolescents suffering from beta-thalassemia major referred to Thalassemia and Hemophilia Clinic Center (Sarvar) from July 6th to October 30th 2021 (with the trial registration number IRCT20210521051356N1 in 17/06/2021). This study examined the effects of applying emotional intelligence components on two types of coping skills comprising problem-focused strategies (problem-solving and cognitive evaluation) and emotion-focused strategies, including positive emotion-focused (social support) and negative emotion-focused (emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition). This article is written based on the TREND statement checklist.

Participants

The inclusion criteria were 1) Having the informed consent to participate in the study, 2) Willingness to participate in the study, 3) having a medical record diagnosed with beta-thalassemia major, 4) Aged between 12 and 18 years, 5) Having the ability to read and write, 6) do not suffer from mental illness based on the medical records, 7) do not pass similar courses of emotional intelligence, 8) Lack of complementary therapies (such as acupuncture, yoga).

The exclusion criteria were 1) absence in 2 sessions or more of educational intervention 2) unwillingness to continue cooperation with the researcher during the study, 3) Failure to participate in the post-test 4) occurring stressful events for the patient or his/her family.

Data collect

The data were gathered through demographic information form and Billings and Moos coping strategies questionnaire.

Demographic data included 13 questions of gender, age, educational status, parental economic status, insurance, underlying disease, marital status, and duration of illness, hemoglobin level, ferritin level, history of splenectomy, iron chelation drug and occupation. Billings and Moos (1981), designed a questionnaire consisting of 19 Yes/No questions to assess coping strategies in difficult situations. Its modified version was published by them in 1984 and contained 32 items and evaluated two domains of problem-focused coping (comprising two subscales of problem-solving and cognitive evaluation) and emotion-focused coping (comprising three subscales of social support, emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition) [ 21 , 23 ]. All these items were scored through a 4-point Likert scale from 0(never used) to 3(always used). The minimum and maximum scores are 0 to 96, respectively; the higher scores show a greater use of all the above-mentioned coping strategies. The retest reliability coefficient was reported 0.79 and for problem-solving, cognitive evaluation, social support, emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition were 0.90, 0.68, 0.90, 0.65 and 0.90, respectively. The internal consistency reliability of the Persian version for the whole questionnaire was considered to be 0.41 to 0.66 [ 24 ]. In this study, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for problem-solving, cognitive evaluation, social support, emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition subscales were 0.76, 0.74, 0.78, 0.72 and 0.84, respectively. Moreover, the validity of this tool was determined by the content validity method. This questionnaire was approved by 10 experts and specialists in the field of the research topic. Back-translation method was used to translate the questionnaire by two independent translators.

Intervention and process

The study samples were recruited through convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria in Thalassemia and Hemophilia Clinic Center (Sarvar). After explaining the main aim and methodology of the research to the teenagers and their parents, the written consents were obtained from adolescents and their fathers by researcher in Sarvar Clinic, as well as a form to collect demographic information. If the father was absent for any reason and the mother was with adolescent, the written consent was obtained from the mother. Then, potential participants were divided into two groups of intervention and control based on the days of referral (Even and odd days). Lottery was used to determine which day (odd or even) belonged to which group (intervention or control). Then, the intervention group divided into groups of 3–5 people based on lottery. This lottery was conducted by the researcher in the clinic. A number was assigned to each sample of the intervention group. She wrote the numbers in small papers and folded the paper. Then she poured it into a container and blended it. Then, in the presence of other authors, 3 to 5 papers were selected and placed in a group.

The intervention group members took part in training sessions about emotional intelligence components based on Bar-on model. The educational concepts of the classes were designed based on 5 components in Bar-on model as shown in Table  1 [ 19 , 25 ]. Emotional intelligence training was provided in 9 sessions consisting of 90 min, two sessions per week; the intervention was to be delivered over one month period. Classes were held virtually and in person in groups of 3–5 individuals using lectures, discussion, questions and answers by researcher and clinical psychologist. Virtual meetings were held in WhatsApp by voice and video call. The face-to-face sessions were delivered in the room of Sarvar Clinic. The training content of the classes was the same for all experimental groups (Table  1 ). The participants of the intervention group were provided with an educational booklet about the emotional intelligence and asked to practice at home daily and discuss their opinions at the beginning of the next session. For ethical reasons the control group members were provided with an educational booklet at the completion of the study. Moreover, the standard of care (including the Periodic medical visit, blood transfusion, iron chelation therapy, giving educational pamphlets, self-care training) was carried out. The intervention groups were asked not to talk with control group members about implementation due to avoid exchanging data between them, all participants including experimental and control groups were asked to complete the Billings and Moos questionnaire before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention. The participants were asked to think about the stressful events that happened to them in the last month and answer the questionnaire based on how they responded to the stressful events. A face-to-face self-report interview was used to collect information.

Statistical analysis

To calculate the sample size, we using G-POWER software and t test with the power of 80% and the error probability ratio of 5%, 33 individuals were assigned into each group [ 26 ]. Then by considering attrition rate, 2 more individuals were added into each group and finally each group comprised 35 people. We performed a statistical power analysis using independent t test. The power was 0.20 with considering 35 individuals in each group.

The collected data analysis was performed using The SPSS software (version 21). For examining and summarizing demographic data of subjects, descriptive statistics, such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation (SD) were used. We tested the normality of quantitative variables by using Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro Wilk tests. To examine the homogeneity of the two groups in terms of intervening and background variables, chi-square (qualitative variables), independent t (quantitative variables with normal distribution) and Mann–Whitney (quantitative variables without normal distribution or rank) was used. To achieve the objectives of the research, repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni were used. Statistical significance was considered at p  <  0.05 and reliability 95%. The statistical analyst was blinded to minimize the bias.

Recruitment

The per protocol analysis used for this clinical trial. During the study, 31 of the 35 teenagers in the intervention group completed the training courses. 1 of the 31 who were in the experimental group and 5 of the 35 adolescents in the control group were not able to complete the second and third evaluation. Finally, the study was performed on 60 individuals ( 30 in the intervention group and 30 in the control group) and the results were calculated without missing samples (Fig.  1 ; Diagram of the participants in the study).

Diagram of the participants in the study

The mean age of the participants was 15.6  ±  1.8 and 15.5  ±  2.3  years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. 33.3% (n  =  10) were female and 66.7% (n  =  20) were male in the intervention group and 33.3% (n  =  10) were female and 66.7% (n  =  20) were male in the control group. Considering the duration of disease in the experimental group was 15.0  ±  2.0  years and in the control group was 15.1  ±  2.2  years (Table  3 ).

First, the normality of quantitative variables was tested by using Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro Wilk tests (Table  2 ). Independent t-test (for normal quantitative variables), Mann–Whitney test (for non-normal quantitative and rank variables) were used to compare two groups. Nominal variables were also compared in two groups using the chi-square test. This statistical analysis showed there were no meaningful differences between the demographic variables of intervention and control groups (Table  3 ). Statistical significance was considered at p  <  0.05.

A repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to evaluate the effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies. The means and standard deviations for coping strategies are presented in Table  6 . Mauchly’s test indicated that the assumption of sphericity had been violated, [Mauchly’s W = 0.676] and [ P  < 0.001], and therefore degrees of freedom were corrected using Huynh–Feldt as presented in Table  4 .

The effect of time on total score of coping strategies was significant at the [0.05] level, F-ratio = [777.906], p  = [< 0.001], partial Eta Squared = [0.86] and degree of freedom = [1.557]. The effect of group on total score of coping strategies was significant at the [0.05] level, F-ratio = [9022.576], p  = [< 0.001], partial Eta Squared = [0.98] and degree of freedom = [1]. The results of weighted repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) of coping strategies based on the effect of time and group are presented in Table  5 .

Post-hoc pairwise comparisons with a [Bonferroni] adjustment indicated that there was no significant difference between the total scores of coping strategies in the control [34.73 ± 5.420] and experiment [34.90 ± 6.359] groups before the intervention ( p  = [0.169]). However, there was a significant difference between the total scores of coping strategies before the intervention [the initial assessment] and immediately after the intervention [the follow-up assessment] in the control [34.80 ± 5.359] and intervention [39.07 ± 6.297] groups, ( P  < 0.001). Similarly, there was a significant difference between the total scores of coping strategies immediately after the intervention [the first] and one month after the intervention [second follow up assessments] in the control [34.83 ± 5.331] and intervention groups [41.20 ± 6.440], ( P  < 0.001). Moreover, the total scores of coping strategies were significantly higher at the second follow-up assessment [one month after the intervention] than the first assessment [immediately after the intervention], ( P  < 0.001). The results of Bonferroni test are shown in the Table  6 .

Problem-focused coping strategy

The effect of time on problem-focused strategies was significant at the [0.05] level, F-ratio = [7951.162], p  = [< 0.001], partial Eta Squared = [0.98] and degree of freedom = [1.455]. The effect of group on problem-focused strategies was significant at the [0.05] level, F-ratio = [1407.417], p  = [< 0.001], partial Eta Squared = [0.90] and degree of freedom = [1] (Table  5 ).

Post-hoc pairwise comparisons with a [Bonferroni] adjustment indicated that there was no significant difference between the scores of problem-focused strategies (problem-solving and cognitive evaluation) in the control [14.200 ± 2.551] and experiment [14.233 ± 2.661] groups before the intervention ( p  = [0.913]). However, there was a significant difference between the scores of problem-focused strategies before the intervention [the initial assessment] and immediately after the intervention [the follow-up assessment] in the control [14.266 ± 2.476] and intervention [24.333 ± 2.941] groups, ( P  < 0.001). Similarly, there was a significant difference between the scores of problem-focused strategies immediately after the intervention [the first] and one month after the intervention [second follow up assessments] in the control [14.400 ± 2.443] and intervention groups [29.633 ± 3.189], ( P  < 0.001). Moreover, the scores of problem-focused strategies were significantly higher at the second follow-up assessment [one month after the intervention] than the first assessment [immediately after the intervention], ( P  < 0.001) in the intervention group (Table  6 ).

Emotion-focused coping strategy

The effect of time on total emotion-focused strategies was significant at the [0.05] level, F-ratio = [846.535], p  = [< 0.001], partial Eta Squared = [0.94] and degree of freedom = [1.380]. The effect of group on total emotion-focused strategies was significant at the [0.05] level, F-ratio = [901.775], p  = [< 0.001], partial Eta Squared = [0.94] and degree of freedom = [1] (Table  5 ).

Post-hoc pairwise comparisons with a [Bonferroni] adjustment indicated that there was no significant difference between the scores of emotion-focused strategies in the control [20.533 ± 4.023] and experiment [20.666 ± 5.261] groups before the intervention ( p  = [0.913]). However, there was a significant difference between the scores of emotion-focused strategies before the intervention [the initial assessment] and immediately after the intervention [the follow-up assessment] in the control [20.533 ± 4.049] and intervention [14.733 ± 5.258] groups, ( P  < 0.001). Similarly, there was a significant difference between the scores of emotion-focused strategies immediately after the intervention [the first] and one month after the intervention [second follow up assessments] in the control [20.433 ± 4.091] and intervention groups [11.5667 ± 5.230], ( P  < 0.001). Moreover, the scores of emotion-focused strategies (emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition) were significantly lower at the second follow-up assessment [one month after the intervention] than the first assessment [immediately after the intervention] in the intervention group, ( P  < 0.001). However, the score of social support was significantly higher at the second follow-up assessment [one month after the intervention] than the first assessment [immediately after the intervention] in the intervention group, ( P  < 0.001) (Table  6 ).

Studies have indicated that patients with beta-thalassemia major suffer from psychosocial disorders. For instance, the study of Messina et al. (2008) revealed that thalassemic patients are likely suffer from psychiatric problems and impaired psychosocial functioning such as somatization, depression and obsessive–compulsive traits and also the most used coping skills was escape-avoidance [ 27 ]. Moreover, Adib-Hajbaghery et al. [ 3 ] reported that a majority of beta-thalassemia patients suffer from mild to severe depression, anxiety, and stress [ 3 ]. According to the psychosocial problems, it could be helpful to identify the strategies that can improve the coping skills of the patients. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major was investigated.

Based on the findings of this study, Bonferroni test indicated no statistically differences in the mean scores of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies in both intervention and control groups in the pre-intervention phase. Hence, it can be assumed the used coping strategies in the terms of types and amounts were same in the two groups before the intervention.

Problem-focused coping strategies

The present study showed that there are positive effects of applying components of emotional intelligence on problem-focused coping strategies and the mean scores of problem-solving and cognitive evaluations are significantly increased in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major. Simply put, patients in the experimental group used more problem-focused coping strategies after the intervention, in comparison to the control group.

In line with the present study, Kovaþeviü et al., (2018) conducted a study on patients with Schizophrenia, showed that there is a significant positive relation between emotional intelligence and problem-focused coping strategies [ 17 ]. Nogaj(2020), also found that emotional intelligence correlates positively significant with coping strategies among music school students in the context of visual art and general education students [ 28 ]. Additionally, the study of Moradi et al., [ 21 ] demonstrated that emotional intelligence had positive relationship with problem-solving and cognitive evaluation in university students [ 21 ]. Moreover, Noorbakhsh et al., (2010) revealed that emotional intelligence was positively associated with problem-focused coping strategies [ 14 ]. Furthermore, the study of Boyer et al., (2017) on depressed patients and their caregivers indicated their caregivers, who get higher score of emotional intelligence than patients, used more problem-focused coping strategies [ 29 ]. Besides, Delhom et al., [ 30 ] in the study on investigation the associations among emotional intelligence, coping and depressed mood, concluded that elderly people with high emotional intelligence are more likely to use problem-centered strategies and achieve better psychological adjustment [ 30 ]. These findings are consistent with the results of the present study, which indicates applying emotional intelligence can improve problem-focused coping strategies.

Emotion-focused coping strategies

This study indicated applying components of emotional intelligence reduced the mean score of emotional and somatic inhibition and promote the mean score of social support. In other words, patients in the intervention group used more social support coping strategy and less emotional and somatic inhibition coping strategies after the intervention, in comparison the control group.

The result of Noorbakhsh et al., `study (2010) that aimed to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and coping styles with stress, revealed that emotional intelligence was positively related with positive emotion-focused coping, and negatively associated with negative emotion-focused coping, which is in agreement with the present study [ 14 ]. Moradi et al., [ 21 ] also confirmed that emotional intelligence has positive correlation with social support and negative relationship with physical control coping strategies [ 21 ]. Moreover, in the study of Enns et al., (2018) participants with higher emotional intelligence showed lower perceived stress, used more of adaptive coping skills (included problem-solving and social support) and used less of maladaptive coping strategies [ 31 ]. Furthermore, the study of Hajisabbagh et al., (2017) on patients with epilepsy, confirmed that patients with lower emotional intelligence used more emotion-centered strategies and improving the emotional intelligence of these patients can help them to use more adaptive coping skills [ 20 ]. Additionally, Sarabia et al., (2017) found that coping styles were increased significantly by emotional intelligence workshop and emotional intelligence training can promote adaptive coping strategies [ 32 ]. These findings are in agreement with our study demonstrated that applying emotional intelligence components improve the coping strategies of patients and help them to cope better with stressful situations.

Contrary to our findings, Kovaþeviü et al., (2018) reported that emotion-oriented strategies had no meaningful relationship with emotional intelligence and its subscales [ 17 ]. It can be attributed to the difference in the research community; they conducted research on patients with schizophrenia between the ages of 18 and 55 and these patients have endured many complications of the disease and its treatments over the years, so it is not easy to change coping strategies in these patients and changing coping skills requires long-term intervention [ 17 ]. The study of Manicacci et al., (2019) on the relationship between emotional intelligence and coping strategies in Mothers of Autistic Children also indicated no significant correlation between emotional intelligence and coping strategies. It can be attributed to the difference in the research community and data collection method; they conducted the study on mothers of autistic children aged 23–61 years and outcomes show what they were thinking and feeling when they answered. Besides that, data collection method was anonymous and online, therefore researcher cannot confirm the children’s diagnoses indicated by the mothers, nor the degree of autism severity [ 22 ].

Moreover, the results reveal that the effect of time and group on all coping strategies is significant ( P  <  0.001 ). Considering that the two groups were homogenous in terms of all the demographic characteristics, thus, the main effect of time and group on the average of coping strategies in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major in the two groups can be attributed to the effect of the research intervention including the applying of emotional intelligence components.

In conclusion, emotional intelligence training can improve coping strategies in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major. Emotionally intelligent people think differently about the stressful situation and they see it as an opportunity instead of a threat, they have better ability and more skills to control their emotions to cope with work-related problems and daily life challenges [ 33 ].

Limitations

The present study has some limitations, including the small sample size, which limits the generalizability of the results. Moreover, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the most training sessions were held virtually. Moreover, our results show what the teenagers were thinking and feeling when they answered the questionnaires.

Overall, the findings of the present study demonstrated that applying components of emotional intelligence can promote problem-focused (problem-solving and cognitive evaluation) and positive emotion-focused (comprising social support) coping strategies and reduce negative emotion-focused (comprising emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition) coping strategies. In other words, applying emotional intelligence enabled adolescents with beta-thalassemia major to use adaptive coping skills and deal better with complications of the disease.

Health care providers are often the first point of contact with children and adolescents, in meeting with adolescents with chronic illness and their families, they can identify and evaluate coping strategies used and then apply methods to improve them. Promoting positive coping can play an important role in decreasing stress, ameliorating therapeutic outcomes and the quality of life. As a result, we strongly recommend that health professionals consider educating and applying emotional intelligence as part of psychological and non-pharmacological treatments in health centers.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to individuals’ privacy but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude for the support of the nurses of Thalassemia and Hemophilia Clinic Center (Sarvar) and the adolescents who participated in our study.

This study is the result of a master thesis in pediatric nursing with the code of grant 991978. The work was supported by the Research Administration of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

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Monir Ramezani

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Associate Professor, Specialist in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

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BA, MR, ZB and SV made contributions to conception and design of the study, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data. They all drafted the manuscript or revised it critically for important intellectual content. All authors of the manuscript have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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This study was awarded ethical approval by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (with the code of ethics IR.MUMS.NURSE.REC.1400.017) on May 31, 2021. All methods were performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The written informed consent form from all adolescents and their parents were obtained by researcher.

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Ahmadian, B., Ramezani, M., Badiei, Z. et al. The effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Pediatr 24 , 591 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-05057-7

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Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership Essay

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Introduction

Emotional intelligence, decision-making, biases and becoming effective leader and decision-maker.

Nowadays, there are various psychological tools and instruments that help measure one’s emotional intelligence, evaluate one’s decision-making skills, and describe the decision-making mechanisms and principles. Business practitioners and HR managers view these components as highly important since they help understand the abilities of the employees and their potentials of becoming leaders and managers in future (Batool, 2013).

To understand the importance of these aspects I have completed a series of tests to discover the main features of an effective leader. Assessing their ability to evaluate personality and their connection with the role in organization and leadership are the main goals of this paper. Simultaneously, it is critical to underline biases and determine the main qualities of a leader and decision-maker. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to summarize the main findings of the paper.

In this case, one of the first aspects to be considered is emotional intelligence. Nowadays, this social term pertains to being able to take into account emotions of other individuals, interpret them correctly, and use them as a basis for decision-making in different contexts (Batool, 2013). To understand its working principles, I have completed Emotional Intelligence Test. MEIT test helps assess and reflects the spheres such as emotions, goals setting, autonomy in decision-making, self-evaluation, making decisions under pressure, and relationships with others.

According to the main features of emotional intelligence, the leader has to be independent of external opinions, empathetic, optimistic, and socially responsible (Batool, 2013). It could be said that these matters are the main definers of one’s level of emotional intelligence. In terms of the assessment of my personality, it portrays that a have to pay critical attention to the emotions and feelings of other individuals, as disregarding them will question my leadership and abilities to build trusting relationships and networks with the subordinates in the recent future.

Based on the factors depicted above, it could be said that emotional intelligence is a complex phenomenon and its main features are the main definers of effective leadership (Batool, 2013). Nowadays, it is critical to consider this component. The organizational structure continues to evolve, and it is important to become closer to the subordinates, understand their ideas and emotions, and encourage them to participate in the decision-making process (Batool, 2013).

In this case, it fulfills the existence gap in power distance between managers and employees and makes a leader not only an autocratic ruler of the company but also helps develop trusting relationships with the employees. Simultaneously, the principles of emotional intelligence can enhance decision-making and improve communication within a group (Hess & Bacigulapo, 2011). These concepts change the organizational structure by increasing the freedom of choice and expression inside the company.

Despite a substantial importance of emotional intelligence, leadership is one of the critical aspects that have to be taken into account by the modern managers. In this case, I have completed Leadership Assessment Questionnaire. This test attempts to reflect and cover the attitudes towards risk-taking, goal-setting, alignment with the company’s strategy, the effectiveness of decisions, ability to inspire, motivate, and provide continuous feedback and distributing resources effectively. It remains apparent that complying with these characteristics refers to being an effective and recognized leader, and these matters are main definers of the company’s success and financial prosperity. In this instance, this test helps highlight the main areas that require improvement. For example, my test reflected that I have average scores, and this result implies that I should continue developing my leadership skills and changes my attitudes towards interpersonal relationships for the company’s success.

The factors depicted above could be discovered as critical for the company’s development and survival. Nowadays, being a leader is vehemently important, as it not only helps increase the efficiency of the employees but also assists in cultivating change (Ikinci, 2014). At the same time, it motivates and inspires employees to continue training, as they understand their contribution to the company’s prosperity and profitability (Ikinci, 2014). Alternatively, the leader has to be interested in the dynamic environment and adapt to the constantly changing trends ( Center for Creative Leadership , 2012). Overall, along with emotional intelligence, one cannot underestimate the significance of leadership since it helps find a rapport with the employees and creates an interference between company’s mission and personal goals.

Another matter that has a clear connection with the organizational effectiveness is the principles of decision-making. In this case, the test How Good Is Your Decision-Making helped me understand my personal traits and competences. In the first place, this test tends to cover topics such as principles of decision-making and potential sources of bias such as emotionality. This assessment has a clear connection with the main features of the effective decision-maker that may include rationality, critical thinking, strong support by facts, a reasonable involvement of intuition, and risk assessment. As for my personal assessment, the score indicated that I tend to rely on rational decision-making.

The primary benefit of this approach is its strong focus on logic and factual support (Walter, Kellermanns, & Lechner, 2010). Nonetheless, I have to focus on the development of my intuitive skills, as the business environment may experience unpredictable changes and require making decisions quickly.

The main features of the concept mentioned above emphasize that it could be considered as equally important as leadership and emotional intelligence. It could be said that this aspect helps the organization select only rational and logical options that may have a beneficial influence on the firm’s stability and financial performance (Walter et al., 2010). At the same time, it assists in avoiding external risks and modifying the organizational culture to comply with the external trends and fluctuations of the economic cycles. Underestimating this matter may lead to failure and a substantial financial loss.

Despite the clarity of the decision-making and its well-balanced intuitive and logical components, there are various external factors that affect the effectiveness of selecting a particular option. The assessment presented above attempted to cover some types of biases. One of them is emotionality, as they leaders tend to rely on intuition while overconfident that a particular event will take place (Murata, Nakamura, & Karwowski, 2015).

Apart from the cognitive biases that tend to underestimate the possibility of the social influence, there are various phenomena such as groupthink (Murata et al. 2015). In this case, the inability to discover issue from dissimilar angles minimizes the effectiveness of decision-making and may be discovered as a potential cause of failure or financial loss. It remains evident that different biases and external factors have to be considered at the same time since underestimating them will question the effectiveness of the leadership style and selected decision-making strategy.

Based on the assessments mentioned above, it could be said that effective leader and decision-maker has to combine various emotional traits that include the main features of emotional intelligence, leadership, and the key principles of decision-making mechanisms. In this case, the leader has to pay attention to the emotions of other individuals and take them into account when making particular decisions (Batool, 2013). At the same time, one cannot underestimate the importance of social responsibility and ensuring alignment with the personal and group goals with the company’s mission. Using a well-balanced combination of intuition and rationality will also boost the efficiency of decision-making and have a positive impact on the development of the company. Being able to combine these features will contribute to being a motivating and inspiring role model to the employees and effective problem-solver.

Overall, this essay helped see that personal assessments are not only completed for pleasure and entertainment, but they also identify the areas for improvement. They tend to take into account the characteristics that one has to have a high level of emotional intelligence and be effective leader and decision-maker. These tests helped understand the significance of individual traits and emotional features in the organizational structure and success of the company.

At the same time, this essay tends to underline that these concepts are vehemently important for the organizational performance and have to be considered as the main components of the effective leadership and decision-making. Using their combination will have a positive impact on establishing internal and external relationships and change the principles of the decision-making style. Following these new tendencies will assist the leader in establishing trusting relationships with the employees and creating a suitable environment for encouraging employees to share their opinions. It could be said that these factors will not only optimize the working processes of the company but also enhance company’s competitive edge.

Batool, B. (2013). Emotional intelligence and effective leadership. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 4 (3), 84-94.

Center for Creative Leadership : Leadership image. (2012). Web.

Hess, J., & Bacigulapo, A. (2011). Enhancing decisions and decision-making processes through the application of emotional intelligence. Management Decisions, 49 (5), 720-721.

Ikinci, S. (2014). Organizational change: Importance of leadership style and training. Management and Organizational Studies, 1 (2), 122-128.

Murata, A., Nakamura, T., & Karwowski, W. (2015). Influence of cognitive biases on distortive decision-making and leading to critical unfavorable incidents. Safety, 1 (1), 44-58.

Walter, J., Kellermanns, F., & Lechner, C. (2012). Decision making within and between organizations: Rationality, politics, and alliance performance. Journal of Management, 38 (5), 1582-1610.

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The Emotional Intelligence (EI) imperative in the age of AI

Artificial intelligence

With the explosion of exciting new AI advancements and capabilities, customers, companies, and even entire industries are envisioning what it will mean for the future of business and communication. When seeking speed and convenience – like automating mundane and repetitive tasks – AI can save the day. However, when it comes to more complex or emotionally charged situations, technology alone falls short. When the stakes are high, people want to connect with people.

That's why it’s important to empower specialized, emotionally aware customer experts by using AI to streamline processes, offload manual tasks like summarizing calls, and quickly access recommended responses and resources. Liberating them from these mundane tasks allows them to focus purely on the quality of each experience rather than dealing with high quantities of manual tasks. That’s the EI difference.

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