Workplace welcomes Emotional Intelligence

How intelligent are you? Good enough to get hired. A disturbing question and an equally unsettling answer. Can only your skill set shape your success story? It is not intelligence but emotional intelligence that sets the exceptional employees apart.

Emotional intelligence is not just a concept, it is a movement. A movement, that is creating sustainable transformation. For some solid reasons and pieces of evidence, Harvard Business Review has acknowledged emotional intelligence as “the key to professional success.”

“We should take care not to make the intellect our God; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.”

–  Albert Einstein

There’s always an undercurrent of ‘why’ beneath everything. This is exactly what we shall explore through this article:

Why is emotional intelligence the key to professional success?

The Moment of Recognition

When Daniel Goleman published ‘Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ’ in the year 1995, within no time it turned into an international bestseller. Since then, schools, communities, and businesses across the globe have been embracing the concept of emotional intelligence.

It was certainly a moment of recognition because no human is devoid of emotions and how they impact every aspect of our lives, was something that people were interested in.

Will your IQ make you a star?

With the passage of time, people have started realizing that their intelligence quotient is merely their threshold competence. A sense of complacency sinks in when we know that we are ‘intelligent enough’. We become comfortable with our knowledge and abilities.

Do we ever grow in our comfort zone?

The idea is to push the boundaries, challenge our own limits and adjust with the uncomfortable.

Yes, your IQ will take you miles, would get you a decent job but to shine brighter, it is emotional intelligence that you need.

Let’s look at how emotional intelligence is making a difference in the professional arena.

As you enter your workplace, you come across a diverse group of people. Everyone is bringing a different energy, everyone is working hard but there are unique elements at play that makes extraordinary employees who they are. Magic comes alive when intelligence combines with emotions. However, we must 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.”

It’s time that we ask certain questions to ourselves to understand this concept better.

Am I aware of my emotions?

According to Daniel Goleman, ‘self-awareness’ is the mainspring of emotional intelligence. Once we begin to recognize and understand our own emotions, we gain the power to control them.

“If you are tuned out of your own emotions, you will be poor at reading them in other people.”

Well said and very much in tune with the self!

Do you see an opportunity here?

The opportunity to achieve ultimate freedom- freedom from the prison of your own mind.

In the office, the situation will not always be in your favor. Your colleagues will not react according to your expectations. Your boss will not always be nice to you. People might say mean things. Not every meeting will go right. There will be problems. Right?

The idea is to choose the best way to respond. This can only happen if you are aware of your own emotions. How you respond will determine how you are allowing a particular person or situation to affect you. Consequently, your response will reflect in your performance. There’s no room for frustration and anger.

Wouldn’t you want to make the most of this opportunity?

Can I tolerate conflict?

Arguments. Disagreements. Conflicts. Of thoughts and opinions.

Let’s face it. We all can agree to disagree.

With different perspectives and diverse backgrounds, conflict is bound to happen. The difference of opinions will occur but we can choose to celebrate our differences.

We sure cannot take charge of resolving any conflict. Can we? Not every conflict can be resolved but with your emotions in control, you can handle possibly any conflict.

But yes, when it comes to the larger goal of the organization you are working at, you need to keep your ego aside and accept the ideas that matter.

Easy? Give it a try!

How about courage, dear heart?

With new projects, arrive new challenges. You have to make yourself believe that you can do it.

It’s all in the mind. Isn’t it?

In a multi-cultural, distributed workplace, courage is the beginning of all change. It is how effective leaders inspire others and trust me, courage is contagious.

Risks are inevitable. If you avoid risks on one road, there will always be risks in the road not traveled.

Courage never fails. It cuts across the barriers of doubts, fears, and hesitations. With high emotional intelligence, you can trust in the process and lead.

Can you fix the broken things?

The damage is done. What’s the point of complaining about it? Will it make any difference?

Who do you wish to be- a problem solver or a whiny old man?

Don’t you think Cohen was right when he sang, “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

Let’s not crib about the crack. Let’s bring in some light. Let’s be light.

Before you decide, remember, problems pile up and solutions lead to results.

Are you a leader?

“CEOs are hired for their intellect and business expertise and fired for a lack of emotional intelligence.”

Daniel Goleman was right about this one. Your proficiency and rich experience will get you there but will you be able to sustain the leadership role, is where emotional intelligence comes into the picture. It definitely plays a revolutionary role in leadership.

If you can bring about the development of collective goals, inspire others to work with more dedication, maintain an aura of optimism at the workplace, create a flexible decision-making process and most importantly, establish a meaningful identity of your organization, you are a true leader!

A leader is someone who drives people to performance.

Are you ready to take charge?

Are you emotionally intelligent?

You must be wondering why so many questions. Because Daniel Goleman or any other great psychologist in the world can’t determine your level of emotional intelligence. You need to look within to find the answers.

You are not born with emotional intelligence. Nobody can define the EQ skill set for you. It is an evolution, an ongoing process. We fail, we learn from our mistakes and we learn in the light of the experiences of those around us.

Everyone is unique and so are their experiences. Everyone brings a unique emotional style on the table.

Why emotional intelligence?

Speaking at the 5^th annual Nexus EQ Conference in Holland in 2005, titled, “Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Tools and Wisdom for a Sustainable World”, Goleman said “This is a worldwide movement, but people are isolated. To everyone who is laboring in solitary circumstances — in a school, in a business, in a hospital, a university, where ever you may be: You are part of a community — a virtual community of like-minded people pursuing this important work. The chance to come together and meet others in your ‘family’ is enormously important.”

There is perhaps no justification why the oil and gas industry should not make the most of this gift. Considering the harsh and challenging work environ of this industry, high levels of emotional intelligence among the employees will turn around the state of affairs.

Let us all take some time out to reflect upon the intelligence in emotional intelligence. This is perhaps one skill that will entirely change how you view things around you and would help you perform with elegance.

Yes, we are emotional beings. How about being smart with our emotions?

Let’s join the movement to find the answers.