Discover Your EI Advantage Pt 1: The 5 Emotional Intelligence Essentials to Drive Success

Emotional intelligence is a critical factor in professional success. The ability to tune into your emotions, as well as developing situational awareness, is a powerful tool for both personal and professional success.

A leader who lacks emotional intelligence (EI) isn’t able to effectively gauge the needs of their staff and might react erratically to challenging situations. Leaders who emphasize developing their EI are also able to develop trusting, more productive relationships, inspire others through action, and communicate more effectively.

In the first instalment of our series “Discover Your  EI Advantage,” we focus on the benefits of developing your EI.  We’ll be exploring five key attributes of emotional intelligence, which are: self-awareness, self-management, empathy, relationship management, and effective communication.

If you’re just starting to become familiar with these attributes, and would like to start developing them for yourself, keep reading to learn more:

1. Self-Awareness

Being able to understand your own emotions and react appropriately is one of the key attributes of emotional intelligence. 

Without self-awareness and reflection, you can’t fully understand who you are, your motivations, and where you fall short emotionally. People who have a strong understanding of who they are and what their goals are can work more effectively towards them because they know how to motivate themselves.

2. Self-Regulation

Learning to control or redirect disruptive emotions and being resilient during stressful situations helps to keep moving in a positive direction.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing some great examples of self-regulation. Our public and health leaders most likely are experiencing emotional turmoil, and are at the same risk or higher as everyone else.  But it is their steady and regulated response to the crisis that helps to reassure the public.    

Successful leaders remain calm during a crisis. Calm, like panic, is contagious, so leaders who can self-regulate can continue to communicate clearly and help manage others’ reactions to stress and change as well.

3. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see the world from their perspective. The more it’s possible to relate to others, the better people are at understanding what motivates or upsets them. 

This helps people to empathize with how they may be reacting to a situation, even if they don’t share their emotions. Being able to empathize with team members is one of the key tenets of successful leadership.

4. Relationship Management

Developing the ability to communicate and manage relationships is essential to success. 

People can’t lead and make sound decisions when they’re distracted. Many have families, commitments, and obligations that need to be balanced, and building the emotional capacity to manage them in a healthy way is a key to success.

5. Effective Communication

Communication is one of the most important areas of emotional intelligence.

Studies have shown that communication is 7% what is said, and 93% body language and tone. Not being aware of how to express yourself can lead to emotions such as frustration, resentment, and anger, and hurt relationships both at work and at home.

On the other hand, strong communication results in a sense of alignment and a shared sense of purpose. 

Learn the Emotional Intelligence Essentials to Drive Success

People who succeed are those who have developed their emotional intelligence and can apply their skills to leading, inspiring, and managing others.

We coach on the foundation of emotional intelligence and focus on developing the emotional attributes that enhance four key dimensions of leadership: being authentic, coaching and inciting action in others, providing insight to communicate purpose and vision, and having the ability to innovate.  Contact our president, Janice Gair at janice@eidvantage.ca to learn more. 

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