Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is now the popular phrase used to describe the art of handling emotionally charged situations. Your ability to stay focused under pressure, deal with conflict, handle criticism, diffuse anger, and manage other forms of confrontation can make or break you in business and in life. Climbing the corporate ladder can no longer be attributed to pure business genius, because today it requires a combination of business and emotional intelligences to make it to the top.
As organisations continue to innovate and re-invent themselves they are increasingly employing flatter management styles which emphasising teamwork and group coaching. Instead of a manager simply giving orders to subordinates and expecting them to follow through, managers are now required to create and sustain high performing teams. This means keeping morale and team spirit high. It means motivating and empowering a team of people from diverse backgrounds with unique personalities, preferences and personal challenges to produce the best results in the fastest possible time. For this reason, mangers and bosses cannot get by on knowledge of the business alone; they must also know themselves and know their people in order to sustain the morale of a high performing team.
This is not only true in the corporate world but it is also true of any organisation including the home. When two people, from different backgrounds, with differing values, beliefs, personal goals, drivers (motives) and rules (personal standards) work together within an enclosed space for the purpose of achieving a specific goal, there will exist the potential for clashes, confrontations, conflict and emotional outbursts. If you add to the mix a deadline and demands, then you are really creating a high pressure, high stress and potentially explosive environment. The potential for frustration, anger, jealousy, resentment, competition, greed, spite, gossip and conspiracy are always present within an organisation.
How well you manage your own emotions and the emotions of others in your team is called your level of emotional intelligence. It could otherwise be called your emotional quotient or EQ. Years ago your success in life was linked to your IQ, however time has proven that your IQ does not determine your success or failure in life. Folks with low IQ’s have often turned out to be geniuses and likewise folks with high IQ’s have often ended up on the scrap heap of wasted potential. IQ is no longer a valid indicator for predicting your future. On the other hand there is no doubt that in today’s world, your EQ (level of emotional intelligence) will secure or sabotage your own success in life. You will never master the complexities of your outer world if you cannot master the complexities of your own inner world. Self-mastery then, is the key to life mastery and managing yourself is the key to managing your environment.
The beautiful thing about EQ is that it can be developed and raised.
