emotional intelligence easy essay

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

A Plus Topper

Improve your Grades

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.

• Picture Dictionary
• English Speech
• English Slogans
• English Letter Writing
• English Essay Writing
• English Textbook Answers
• Types of Certificates
• ICSE Solutions
• Selina ICSE Solutions
• ML Aggarwal Solutions
• HSSLive Plus One
• HSSLive Plus Two
• Kerala SSLC
• Distance Education

Presentations made painless

• Get Premium

124 Emotional Intelligence Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Emotional intelligence is a crucial skill that helps individuals navigate their emotions, understand others' feelings, and build healthy relationships. It involves being aware of one's emotions, managing them effectively, and empathizing with others.

If you're looking for inspiration for an essay on emotional intelligence, we've got you covered. Here are 124 emotional intelligence essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started:

• The importance of emotional intelligence in leadership
• How emotional intelligence affects workplace performance
• Strategies for developing emotional intelligence in children
• The role of emotional intelligence in conflict resolution
• The impact of emotional intelligence on mental health
• How emotional intelligence can improve communication skills
• Emotional intelligence and its influence on decision-making
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and self-esteem
• Emotional intelligence and academic success
• The connection between emotional intelligence and empathy
• How emotional intelligence can enhance teamwork
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in relationships
• Emotional intelligence and its role in stress management
• The impact of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction
• Strategies for improving emotional intelligence in the workplace
• Emotional intelligence and its link to resilience
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and emotional regulation
• The connection between emotional intelligence and social skills
• How emotional intelligence can help in conflict resolution
• The role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on mental health disorders
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in academic settings
• Strategies for developing emotional intelligence in adolescents
• The connection between emotional intelligence and self-awareness
• How emotional intelligence can improve decision-making skills
• The impact of emotional intelligence on interpersonal relationships
• Emotional intelligence and its influence on job performance
• The role of emotional intelligence in effective communication
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in team dynamics
• Strategies for enhancing emotional intelligence in the family
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on conflict resolution in the workplace
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and emotional resilience
• How emotional intelligence can help in managing stress
• The connection between emotional intelligence and emotional regulation in children
• The role of emotional intelligence in building empathy
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on social skills development
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in parenting
• Strategies for improving emotional intelligence in the classroom
• Emotional intelligence and its influence on academic success
• The connection between emotional intelligence and self-esteem in teenagers
• How emotional intelligence can improve decision-making in adolescents
• The impact of emotional intelligence on peer relationships
• Emotional intelligence and its role in mental health promotion
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in conflict resolution in school
• Strategies for developing emotional intelligence in young adults
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on social-emotional learning
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and self-compassion
• How emotional intelligence can enhance emotional regulation skills
• The connection between emotional intelligence and emotional intelligence in the workplace
• The role of emotional intelligence in effective team communication
• Emotional intelligence and its influence on job satisfaction in the workplace
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in building positive workplace relationships
• Strategies for improving emotional intelligence in diverse work environments
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on employee engagement
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and conflict resolution in the workplace
• How emotional intelligence can help in managing workplace stress
• The connection between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness
• The role of emotional intelligence in promoting a positive work culture
• Emotional intelligence and its influence on organizational performance
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in building strong team dynamics
• Strategies for enhancing emotional intelligence in leadership roles
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on employee retention
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and effective communication in the workplace
• How emotional intelligence can improve decision-making in a professional setting
• The connection between emotional intelligence and emotional regulation in the workplace
• The role of emotional intelligence in conflict resolution in a team setting
• Emotional intelligence and its influence on team collaboration
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in building trust among team members
• Strategies for improving emotional intelligence in a fast-paced work environment
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on employee well-being
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance
• How emotional intelligence can help in managing workplace conflicts
• The connection between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness in a global organization
• The role of emotional intelligence in promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Emotional intelligence and its influence on employee morale
• The benefits of emotional intelligence in building strong client relationships
• Strategies for enhancing emotional intelligence in customer service roles
• Emotional intelligence and its impact on team productivity
• The relationship between emotional intelligence and

Want to research companies faster?

Instantly access industry insights

Let PitchGrade do this for me

Leverage powerful AI research capabilities

We will create your text and designs for you. Sit back and relax while we do the work.

Explore More Content

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2024 Pitchgrade

Emotional intelligence - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

An essay on emotional intelligence can explore the concept of emotional intelligence, its components, and its importance in personal and professional success. It can discuss how individuals can develop emotional intelligence skills, their role in leadership and relationships, and the impact of emotional intelligence on decision-making and well-being. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Emotional Intelligence you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Self-awareness as the Main Factor of Emotional Intelligence

Humans have complex emotions. For instance, sometimes, we learn about our emotions naturally. An example would be; when we feel hungry, so we eat, which you can see that there is a course of action in the sample model. Thus, once we fully learn to understand our emotions, it can help us to recognize our own actions or behavior, and that includes other people as well. Nowadays, the knowledge of Emotional intelligence has become a crucial skill. The ability to […]

Domains, Concept and Key Areas of Emotional Intelligence

The Meaning of Emotions Etymologically, the word emotion comes from the Latin "removere," which means "to move." It can also mean "to stir up," "agitate," or "excite." So, emotion is the moved or stirred-up state of a living being. It is a stirred-up state of feeling, which is how it appears to the individual himself. Definition: Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to perceive and recognize emotions, assimilate feelings, and acknowledge the message and meaning of emotions. Different people have […]

Controlling myself and my Emotions

The scholar Howard Gardener states that there are multiple intelligences. “He described an individual’s cognitive abilities in terms of seven relatively independent but interacting intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, intrapersonal and interpersonal.” (IJCRSEE, 2016) The academic John Dewey, focuses more on intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. Interpersonal refers to the understanding and the act of relating to other people, while Intrapersonal refers to introspection and self-reflection. Dewey believed that the human being has to interact with what surrounds him in […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Discussions on Measuring and Determining the Emotional Intelligence

Many specialized programs and curricula used in schools today have been inspired, in part, by emotional intelligence theory. They were created to help educators both understand and apply emotional and social intelligence in their schools, mainly for the purposes of preventing and managing behavioral issues as well as fostering safe and supportive learning environments. These programs help to address the emotional needs of the students, which literally helps to develop the architecture of their brains, making it possible for them […]

The Effects of Self-Talk on a Basketball Player’s Performance 

Two different professional basketball players step up to the free-throw line in a tied game with a few seconds left during the fourth quarter. The anxiety caused by the context of the situation stimulates the nervous system; therefore, the brain must be able to process the stimulation and allow these players to evaluate the situation. Athlete one, who consulted with a sports psychologist, was able to handle the pressure and help their team win the game. Athlete two, who did […]

The Meaning and Dimensions of Wisdom

The notion of wisdom has captivated the intellects of philosophers, scholars, and thinkers across epochs. At its essence, wisdom transcends mere cognition; it embodies the faculty to discern prudent courses of action and judgments grounded in erudition, experience, and a profound comprehension of life's intricacies. Yet, wisdom encompasses a breadth of attributes beyond intellect, encompassing perspicacity, empathy, and ethical discernment that steer one towards judicious conduct and mindful existence. A cardinal facet of wisdom lies in the aptitude to extrapolate […]

Understanding Emotional Labor and its Impact on Work and Life

Emotional labor, a concept pioneered by sociologist Arlie Hochschild in her seminal work "The Managed Heart" published in 1983, delineates the intricate process of managing sentiments and expressions to meet the emotional prerequisites of a vocation. This construct has since undergone evolution, enveloping a vast spectrum of professions and responsibilities, and accentuating the often-neglected demands imposed on individuals in both their occupational and personal spheres. At its core, emotive labor entails the regulation of affect to adhere to institutional expectations, […]

The INTJ Personality Type: the Architect’s Mind

The INTJ persona, often denoted as "The Architect," epitomizes one of the 16 personality archetypes elucidated by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This personality classification embodies a distinctive amalgamation of attributes shaping their worldview and interpersonal dynamics. Individuals embodying the INTJ persona are recognized for their strategic cogitation, autonomy, and an unswerving commitment to their objectives. Within this discourse, we shall delve into the fundamental characteristics, assets, and prospective hurdles encountered by INTJs. INTJs are primarily propelled by intuition and […]

Empathy: Understanding and Sharing the Feelings of Others

Empathy is a concept that's often thrown around in discussions about interpersonal relationships, but what does it really mean, and why is it important? At its heart, empathy is about understanding and sharing the feelings of others. It helps us connect more deeply with those around us by allowing us to step outside of our own experiences and see the world from another person's perspective. In a world that's increasingly polarized, empathy can serve as a bridge, helping us find […]

Assessing Strengths and Weaknesses: a Dual Approach to Self-Improvement

Recognizing our advantages and disadvantages is crucial as we continue to strive for both professional and personal development. This method helps us become more self-aware while also enabling us to improve the things we do well and address the areas in which we need improvement. Through self-evaluation, we can establish attainable objectives, cultivate improved connections, and eventually live a more satisfying life. Finding one's own abilities is frequently the most satisfying aspect of this evaluation. These are the traits and […]

Decoding Emotional Intelligence: Evaluations, Traps, and Forthcoming Avenues

Emotional acumen, often hailed as the cornerstone of interpersonal dynamics, has emerged as a central focus of contemporary discourse across diverse arenas. This enigmatic blend of self-awareness, empathy, and adept emotional management permeates myriad spheres, from personal relationships to professional realms, dictating success and fulfillment. Yet, amidst the clamor for its comprehension lies a labyrinth of assessment challenges, pitfalls, and the beckoning of uncharted territories. Embarking on the quest to gauge emotional intelligence unravels a tapestry woven with intricate threads […]

The Spectrum of Emotional Intelligence: a Journey into Human Understanding

In our quest to comprehend human cognition, the conventional lens of intelligence quotient (IQ) has long dominated. Yet, in the evolving narrative of human psychology, attention has shifted towards a more intricate and comprehensive concept: Emotional Intelligence (EI). Beyond the confines of IQ lies a vast spectrum of emotional acumen, encompassing the intricate interplay of self-awareness, empathy, and social adeptness. At the core of Emotional Intelligence lies the profound trait of self-awareness. This cornerstone attribute delves into the depths of […]

Connecting Cultures: the Power of Emotional Intelligence in Diplomacy

Hey there, fellow citizens! Today, let's chat about something that's close to my heart and crucial in today's interconnected world – emotional intelligence in cross-cultural diplomacy. Now, I know the term might sound a bit fancy, but bear with me – it's essentially about understanding and navigating emotions to build stronger connections between different cultures. In our fast-paced global landscape, where tweets and emojis often replace face-to-face conversations, the role of emotional intelligence in diplomacy can't be overstated. Gone are […]

Mastering the Money Game: how Emotional Intelligence our Financial Moves

Hey there, fellow citizens! Let's dive into something we all deal with – money. Now, I'm not about to hit you with some fancy financial jargon or bore you with complex theories. No, today, we're talking about the not-so-secret weapon we all have in our financial arsenal: emotional intelligence. So, what's emotional intelligence got to do with your bank balance? Turns out, quite a bit. Picture this: you're eyeing that shiny new gadget, and your gut says, "Go for it!" […]

Additional Example Essays

• Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation in the Workplace
• Dweck's Fixed and Growth Mindsets
• What Of This Goldfish Summary
• Rhetorical Analysis of Steve Jobs’ Commencement Address
• Socratic Seminar Questions: Brave New World
• Can Money Buy Happiness Speech
• Importance Of Accountability
• Homeschooling vs Public School
• Socioautobiography Choices and Experiences Growing up
• Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis
• Why College Should Not Be Free
• A Raisin in the Sun Theme

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

What is Emotional Intelligence? +23 Ways To Improve It

But although emotionality has historically been portrayed as the fiery and foolish nemesis of reason and rationality, emotions are fundamental to our ability to function. They motivate us to act, are essential to social interactions, and form the bedrock of our felt sense of morality.

Emotional intelligence can provide a significant advantage for mastering our emotions. In this post, we’ll get up close with emotional intelligence to find out what it is, why it’s valuable, and how you can cultivate more of it.

Before you continue, 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 also give you the tools to foster the emotional intelligence of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

What is emotional intelligence 3 examples, 3 fascinating components and theories of eq, why is emotional intelligence important, training and fostering ei skills, how to measure eq: 3 reliable tests, 3 best books on the topic, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Many people have an intuitive grasp of what emotional intelligence is, but for academics, emotional intelligence (EQ or EI) has been a notoriously tricky construct to agree on.

Peter Salovey and John Mayer (1990, p. 185) were the first to develop a psychological theory of emotional intelligence and introduced EQ as a:

“set of skills hypothesized to contribute to the accurate appraisal and expression of emotion in oneself and others, the effective regulation of emotion in self and others, and the use of feelings to motivate, plan, and achieve in one’s life.”

From this perspective, emotional intelligence could be useful in almost all areas of life. Let’s look at some examples of emotional intelligence in action.

Self-awareness and leadership

Our awareness of emotions is centrally important to our relationships (Schutte et al., 2001) and ability to lead others (Rosete & Ciarrochi, 2005).

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been praised globally for her ability to listen, show empathy, and connect with people in a crisis. CEO Today Magazine says we can learn a lot from Ardern’s ability to manage her own emotions effectively, as “ self-awareness is the foundation on which all else is built” and “allows us to engage others on their terms ” (Lothian, 2020).

Decision making

Psychologist and EQ expert Daniel Goleman (2019) recommends listening to your gut, as bodily intuitions reveal “ decision rules that the mind gathers unconsciously. ” In this way, emotional signals from our bodies provide a sort of intangible wisdom guiding us toward the “right” decisions.

To support this, Seo and Barrett (2007) found that stock investors who were experiencing more intense emotions and better at discriminating between emotions showed better decision-making performance. The researchers suggested that a greater awareness of emotions boosted the investors’ ability to manage emotional biases, which ultimately led to better decisions.

Stress management and mental wellbeing

Having an awareness of and ability to manage emotions can make us feel more equipped to deal with difficult feelings and situations (Gohm, Corser, & Dalsky, 2005), and support greater mental wellbeing (Fernandez-Berrocal, Alcaide, Extremera, & Pizarro, 2006).

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health that ultimately led him to seek therapy. CNN Health highlighted how Prince Harry’s openness to talk about and express his emotions is helping others too, by making mental wellbeing a more acceptable topic to talk about, particularly for men (Duffy, 2021).

Emotional intelligence and personality

There’s been some controversy around using the term emotional ‘ intelligence ’ in models of EQ that include constructs resembling personality and broader social skills. Where do these attributes end and EQ begin (Neubauer & Freudenthaler, 2005)?

While more objective performance measures of EQ (Mayer & Salovey, 1997) have shown to be distinct from the Big Five personality traits of extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism, some self-report measures of EQ have shown greater crossover with personality measures (Brackett & Mayer, 2003).

Ability measures and self-report measures have shown a weak correlation with each other, suggesting that they may capture different aspects of EQ (Brackett & Mayer, 2003).

Mayer and Salovey’s integrative emotional intelligence model

Mayer and Salovey’s (1997) integrative model comprises four interconnected emotional abilities:

• Perception and expression of emotion Noticing your own emotions and picking up on the emotions of others as well as the ability to distinguish between discrete emotions.
• Using emotion to facilitate thought How you incorporate emotions into your thinking processes and an understanding of when and how emotions can be helpful for reasoning processes.
• Understanding and analyzing emotions The capacity to decode emotions, make sense of their meaning, and understand how they relate to each other and change over time.
• Reflective regulation of emotion An openness to all emotions and the ability to regulate your own emotions and the emotions of others to facilitate growth and insight.

Bar-On’s model of social and emotional intelligence

Bar-On’s (1997, 2006) mixed model claims that EQ is a combination of competencies, skills, and “facilitators” that contribute to how people express themselves, respond to challenges in their environment, and connect with others.

Bar-On (2006) suggests that 10 distinct components provide the scaffolding of emotionally and socially intelligent behaviors:

• Self-regard
• Emotional awareness
• Assertiveness
• Interpersonal relationships
• Stress tolerance
• Impulse control
• Reality testing
• Flexibility
• Problem solving

Self-actualization, independence, social responsibility, optimism, and happiness were originally considered to be components of EQ but were later reframed as “facilitators” of EQ (Bar-On, 2006).

Daniel Goleman’s theory of EQ

Daniel Goleman (1995) popularized the concept of emotional intelligence in his widely acclaimed book Emotional Intelligence . Check out his TED talk on the art of managing emotions.

Goleman (1995, p. xii) offers a broad conceptualization of EQ abilities, including “ self-control, zeal and persistence, and the ability to motivate oneself .” Goleman (2001) proposed that EQ provides a sign of an individual’s “potential” for developing emotional competencies (i.e., practical skills) that can help them thrive at work.

His original theory mapped emotional intelligence into five key domains:

• Knowing your emotions
• Managing emotions
• Motivating oneself
• Recognizing emotions in others
• Handling relationships

Download 3 Free Emotional Intelligence Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients understand and use emotions advantageously.

Download 3 Free Emotional Intelligence Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

Emotional intelligence is widely celebrated as a valuable commodity because it can predict life outcomes we care about, such as academic performance (MacCann et al., 2020), psychological adjustment (Fernandez-Berrocal et al., 2006), and workplace success (Lopes, Grewal, Kadis, Gall, & Salovey, 2006b).

Is EQ important in the workplace?

Lopes, Côté, and Salovey (2006a) suggest that a greater ability to manage emotions can benefit work performance in many ways. Using emotional intelligence in the workplace can improve decision making, help social interactions run smoothly, and enhance employees’ ability to deal with stressful times.

EQ has been linked to better task performance, organizational citizenship behaviors of employees (Côté & Miners, 2006), higher company rank, and higher scores of stress tolerance and interpersonal facilitation (e.g., positive interaction) as rated by peers and/or supervisors (Lopes et al., 2006b).

A meta-analysis involving 43 EQ studies concluded that ability measures, mixed models, and self-report and peer measures of EQ were all equally good at predicting job performance (O’Boyle, Humphrey, Pollack, Hawver, & Story 2011).

The importance of EI in leadership

Being a leader is a tough job that is likely to be harder if you have trouble managing your own emotions or the emotions of those you lead.

EQ has been found to predict leadership effectiveness even when accounting for IQ and personality (Rosete & Ciarrochi, 2005). In addition, Gardner and Stough (2002) found that emotional intelligence, particularly understanding and managing emotions, was strongly related to (positive) transformational leadership behaviors of senior managers.

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

Can EI be taught and learned?

Considering the many advantages EQ can bring, it’s not surprising that the popularity of EQ training has boomed over the last decade.

Remarkably, one study found that only 10 hours of group EQ training (lectures, role-play, group discussions, partner work, readings, and journaling) significantly improved people’s ability to identify and manage their emotions, and these benefits were sustained six months later (Nelis, Quoidbach, Mikolajczak, & Hansenne, 2009).

It’s clear that putting EQ skills into practice plays an important role in developing emotional intelligence. So, if you’re looking to teach EQ skills , Cherniss, Goleman, Emmerling, Cowan, and Adler (1988) suggest distinguishing between:

• Cognitive learning — Intellectually grasping the concept of how to improve emotional abilities. In other words, you may know that you need to bring your awareness to your emotions more often, but this doesn’t mean you’ll be able to.
• Emotional learning — Unlearning old habits and relearning more adaptive ones. To grow emotionally, we need to cut ties with our default ways of responding. If your old habit is withdrawing from your loved ones when you’re overwhelmed, a new habit could be reaching out to others when you’re stressed rather than closing off.

• Recognize and name your emotions. Taking the time to notice and label your feelings can help you choose the best way to respond to situations.
• Ask for feedback. Even though it might make you cringe, it’s helpful to get others’ viewpoints on your emotional intelligence. Ask people how they think you handle tricky situations and respond to the emotions of others.
• Read literature. Reading books from someone else’s perspective could deepen your understanding of their inner worlds and boost social awareness in the process.

MindTools (n.d.) has also helpfully laid out six ways you can enhance emotional intelligence with a little self-reflection and honesty:

• Notice how you respond to people — Are you being judgmental or biased in your assessments of others?
• Practice humility — Being humble about your achievements means you can acknowledge your successes without needing to shout about them.
• Be honest with yourself about your strengths and vulnerabilities and consider development opportunities.
• Think about how you deal with stressful events — Do you seek to blame others? Can you keep your emotions in check?
• Take responsibility for your actions and apologize when you need to.
• Consider how your choices can affect others — Try to imagine how they might feel before you do something that could affect them.

World-renowned personal coach, entrepreneur, and business strategist Tony Robbins (n.d.) has outlined his six tips for growing emotional intelligence:

• Identify what you’re feeling. Use mindfulness to routinely check in on your feelings from a more neutral perspective.
• Acknowledge and appreciate your emotions for what they are. Robbins (n.d.) emphasizes that “ emotions are never wrong. They are there to support you. ”
• Be curious about what an emotion is trying to tell you.
• Tap into your inner confidence to deal with emotions by remembering when you’ve done this effectively in the past.
• Mentally think through how you would deal with difficult feelings in the future to feel more equipped when the time comes.
• With a renewed confidence in your EQ, Robbins suggests getting excited to use these skills to achieve your goals and enhance your relationships with others.

Want more tips on how to foster EQ? Ramona Hacker gives a rundown of her six steps to improve emotional intelligence in this TED talk , which she developed through her personal EQ journey.

If you’re serious about EQ training to help clients or organizations, check out our in-depth article on How to Improve Emotional Intelligence Through Training .

Below we’ve listed three of the most well-known and reliable EQ tests available.

Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) 2.0

The MSCEIT 2.0 (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002; Mayer, Caruso, Salovey, & Sitarenios, 2003) is a 141-item test capturing abilities across their four core domains of EI:

• Perceiving emotion Tasks ask people to rate how much a specific emotion is expressed on someone’s facial expression, in a design, or a landscape.
• Using emotions in thought People are asked to rate which emotions would be useful in certain situations and to identify different sensations that match specific feelings.
• Understanding emotion Tasks evaluate emotional understanding, such as knowing how different emotions can be combined to make other emotions and how emotions can evolve with time.
• Managing emotion In hypothetical scenarios, people are tasked with rating the best way to achieve a particular emotional outcome and also to decide the actions that would be most effective to manage someone else’s feelings.

You can order copies of the MSCEIT from the publisher, Multi-Health Systems Inc .

The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i)

The EQ-i is a 133-item self-report scale developed alongside Bar-On’s (1997) model of emotional and social intelligence .

People rate the extent to which a short description is very seldom true of them (1) or very often true of them (5), and higher scores are associated with more effective emotional and social functioning (Bar-On, 1997).

Sub-scales of the EQ-i are grouped within these five scales:

• Self-actualization
• Independence
• Social responsibility

A total EQ score can be calculated as well as composite scores for each of the five scales. The EQ-i 2.0 is a more recently released version of the EQ-i you can purchase.

Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SREIT)

This 33-item scale developed by Schutte et al. (1998) was based on Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) EQ model, with the aim of creating an empirically sound self-report measure of people’s current level of emotional intelligence.

The scale captures self-reported EQ across three categories:

• Appraisal and expression of emotion (self and others)
• Regulation of emotion (self and others)
• Using emotions to solve problems

The SREIT asks people to rate how much they agree that items are characteristic of them, such as “ Other people find it easy to confide in me ” or “ I like to share my emotions with others. ” The good news is, the authors of the SREIT have made their scale freely available for clinical and research purposes, and it can be found in their original paper (Schutte et al., 1998).

If you’d like to explore a larger range of assessments and tests, we listed 17 different types of emotional intelligence tests here.

Want to learn even more about EQ assessment? Then read our article on Assessing Emotional Intelligence Scales .

To enhance your EQ prowess even further, here are three more great reads, which could help you understand and harness your emotions for the betterment of yourself and others:

• Dare to Lead  by Brené Brown
• How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain  by Lisa Feldman Barrett
• Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive by Marc Brackett

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.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

If you want to apply what you know about emotional intelligence, we’ve got you covered. In our Positive Psychology Toolkit© we have over 400 tools. Many of these are useful for the development of EQ, for example:

• Building Emotional Awareness: This is a 10- to 40-minute meditation exercise. Meditation exercises can be helpful for EQ because being mindful of emotions facilitates understanding and insight into emotional experiences.
• Reading Facial Expressions of Emotions: This is a fun 15-minute group task to develop an awareness of facial expressions.
• Self-Reflecting on Emotional Intelligence:  This short exercise considers the four components of EQ.
• Telling an Empathy Story: This free resource – Telling an Empathy Story – is a group exercise encouraging the development of empathy, which is a integral part of emotional development.
• Emotional Intelligence Masterclass©: This Masterclass is the ultimate resource for enhancing your clients’ or your own emotional intelligence. Highly recommended with several five-star reviews, this is a thoroughly researched and practical approach to enhancing EQ.
• 17 Emotional Intelligence Exercises If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others develop emotional intelligence, this collection contains 17 validated EI tools for practitioners . Use them to help others understand and use their emotions to their advantage.

Plato was definitely onto something when he said “ Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge ” (BrainyQuote, n.d.).

Emotions can be a valuable source of knowledge. As we’ve seen in this post, emotional intelligence could facilitate positive decisions and behaviors that help us realize success in our relationships, mental wellbeing, and work aspirations.

If you want to develop your EQ, there’s an abundance of simple ways you can begin building your emotional awareness today. If you’re supporting others to cultivate their EQ, both cognitive and emotional forms of learning are likely to be important (Cherniss et al., 1988). In addition to knowing what emotional intelligence is and how to get more of it “in theory,” EQ needs to be put into practice to grow.

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

• Bar-On, R. (1997). The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i): Technical manual . Multi-Health Systems.
• Bar-On, R. (2006). The Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence (ESI). Psicothema, 18 (suppl.) , 13–25.
• Brackett, M. A., Mayer, J. D. (2003). Convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity of competing measures of emotional intelligence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 29 , 1147–1158.
• BrainyQuote (n.d.). Plato quotes . (n.d.). Retrieved May 30, 2021, from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/plato_384673#
• Cherniss, C., Goleman, D., Emmerling, R., Cowan, K., & Adler, M. (1998). Bringing emotional intelligence to the workplace:   A technical report issued by the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations.
• Côté, S., & Miners, C. T. (2006). Emotional intelligence, cognitive intelligence, and job performance. Administrative Science Quarterly , 51 (1), 1–28.
• Duffy, J. (2021, March 9). Prince Harry opens up: A role model for emotional availability in men and boys.  CNN.  Retrieved June 9, 2021, from https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/09/health/mens-mental-health-prince-harry-wellness/index.html
• Fernandez-Berrocal, P., Alcaide, R., Extremera, N., & Pizarro, D. (2006). The role of emotional intelligence in anxiety and depression among adolescents. Individual Differences Research , 4 , 16–27.
• Gardner, L., & Stough, C. (2002). Examining the relationship between leadership and emotional intelligence in senior-level managers. Leadership & Organization Development Journal , 23 , 68–78.
• Gohm, C. L., Corser, G. C., & Dalsky, D. J. (2005). Emotional intelligence under stress: Useful, unnecessary, or irrelevant? Personality and Individual Differences , 39 (6), 1017–1028.
• Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence . Bantam Books.
• Goleman, D. (2001). An EI-based theory of performance. In C. Cherniss & D. Goleman (Eds.), The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and organizations (pp. 27–44). Jossey-Bass.
• Goleman, D. (2019). Go with your gut: Emotional intelligence and decision making . Retrieved May 30, 2021, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/go-your-gut-emotional-intelligence-decision-making-daniel-goleman/
• Harvard Division of Continuing Education. (2019, August 26). How to improve your emotional intelligence. Harvard Professional Development. Retrieved May 30, 2021, from https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-improve-your-emotional-intelligence/
• Lopes, P. N., Côté, S., & Salovey, P. (2006a). An ability model of emotional intelligence: Implications for assessment and training. In V. U. Druskat, G. Mount, & F. Sala (Eds.), Linking emotional intelligence and performance at work: Current research evidence with individuals and groups (pp. 53–80). Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Lopes, P. N., Grewal, D., Kadis, J., Gall, M., & Salovey, P. (2006b). Evidence that emotional intelligence is related to job performance and affect and attitudes at work. Psicothema , 18 , 132–138.
• Lothian, A. (2020, June 9). Jacinda Ardern: How great leaders manage a crisis. CEOToday Magazine . Retrieved May 30, 2021, from https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2020/06/jacinda-ardern-how-great-leaders-manage-a-crisis/
• MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E., Double, K. S., Bucich, M., & Minbashian, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence predicts academic performance: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin , 146 , 150–186.
• Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2002). MSCEIT: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test . Multi-Health Systems.
• Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., Caruso, D. R., & Sitarenios, G. (2003). Measuring emotional intelligence with the MSCEIT V2.0.  Emotion , 3 (1), 97–105.
• Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. E. Salovey & D. J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (pp. 3–31). Basic Books.
• MindTools (n.d.). Emotional intelligence: Developing strong “people skills”. Retrieved May 30, 2021, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm
• Nelis, D., Quoidbach, J., Mikolajczak, M., & Hansenne, M. (2009). Increasing emotional intelligence: (How) is it possible? Personality and Individual Differences , 47 , 36–41.
• Neubauer, A. C., & Freudenthaler, H. H. (2005). Models of emotional intelligence. In R. Schultz & R. D. Roberts (Eds.), Emotional intelligence: an international handbook (pp. 31–50). Hogrefe.
• O’Boyle, E. H., Jr., Humphrey, R. H., Pollack, J. M., Hawver, T. H., & Story, P. A. (2011). The relation between emotional intelligence and job performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 32 (5), 788–818.
• Robbins, T. (n.d.) Improve and develop emotional intelligence . Retrieved May 30, 2021, from https://www.tonyrobbins.com/personal-growth/how-to-improve-emotional-intelligence/
• Rosete, D., & Ciarrochi, J. (2005). Emotional intelligence and its relationship to workplace performance outcomes of leadership effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal , 26 (5), 388–399.
• Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality , 9 (3), 185–211.
• Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Bobik, C., Coston, T. D., Greeson, C., Jedlicka, C., … Wendorf, G. (2001). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations. The Journal of Social Psychology , 141 (4), 523–536.
• Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Hall, L. E., Haggerty, D. J., Cooper, J. T., Golden, C. J., & Dornheim, L. (1998). Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences , 25 (2), 167–177.
• Seo, M., & Barrett, L. (2007). Being emotional during decision making—Good or bad? An empirical investigation. Academy of Management Journal , 50 (4), 923–940.

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

Very informative and motivational.

As a professional psycho-spiritual therapist and counsellor (M.Art), though a beginner in the field, I am thrilled and edified by the organizational skill and thoughtfulness of PositivePsychology.com especially in bringing a lot of experts to write and address myriads of issues in our contemporary world. This article and like many others that I have read from your uploads have been very enriching, educating, stimulating and daring. Special thanks to all the contributing researchers, scholars and writers!

Thank you for the time and care that you put into writing this article. It’s been a very inspiring read.

This was very helpful

Leaves you going down a rabbit hole beyond the article, didn’t know the levels of EQ and how bottomless the idea of it is.

This is a Very informative and motivational article. I really respect and appreciate the “break downs”. How well presented it is.

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

Developing Emotional Maturity: 11 Methods & Worksheets

We all like to think that we’re emotionally mature, but are we really? Having the courage to take an unbiased look at where we may [...]

Cultivating Emotional Literacy in Adults

Emotional literacy, the ability to understand, express, and manage emotions effectively, is a critical skill for adults in both personal and professional contexts. This article [...]

Understanding the Cannon–Bard Theory of Emotion: 3 Examples

We describe ourselves as seeing red when angry, turning green with disgust, or flustered when excited. But how do we define emotions, comprehend their cognitive [...]

Read other articles by their category

• Body & Brain (52)
• Coaching & Application (39)
• Compassion (23)
• Counseling (40)
• Emotional Intelligence (22)
• Gratitude (18)
• Grief & Bereavement (18)
• Happiness & SWB (40)
• Meaning & Values (26)
• Meditation (16)
• Mindfulness (40)
• Motivation & Goals (41)
• Optimism & Mindset (29)
• Positive CBT (28)
• Positive Communication (23)
• Positive Education (37)
• Positive Emotions (32)
• Positive Leadership (16)
• Positive Parenting (14)
• Positive Psychology (21)
• Positive Workplace (35)
• Productivity (16)
• Relationships (46)
• Resilience & Coping (39)
• Self Awareness (20)
• Self Esteem (37)
• Strengths & Virtues (29)
• Stress & Burnout Prevention (33)
• Theory & Books (42)
• Therapy Exercises (37)
• Types of Therapy (54)

3 Emotional Intelligence Exercises (PDF)

Essay on Emotional Intelligence

Students are often asked to write an essay on Emotional Intelligence in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Emotional Intelligence

What is emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is knowing and managing your feelings. It’s like being the boss of your emotions. You understand what you feel, why you feel it, and how your feelings can affect other people.

Why It’s Important

When you’re good at emotional intelligence, you can handle friendship problems better and not get too upset. It helps you deal with tough times without losing control and makes you a kinder person.

Learning About Feelings

You can grow your emotional intelligence by paying attention to your feelings and figuring out what causes them. Talking about emotions with friends or family can also help you understand them better.

Being a Good Friend

Emotional intelligence also means noticing how others feel. By seeing if a friend is sad or happy, you can decide the best way to help them or make them feel better.

Emotional Intelligence at School

250 words essay on emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence, or EI, is the ability to understand and manage your own feelings, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you. Imagine it like a superpower that helps you get along with friends and deal with challenges calmly.

Knowing Your Feelings

The first part of EI is being aware of your own emotions. This means noticing what you’re feeling and why. It’s like being a detective of your own heart. When you know you’re feeling sad because you lost a game, that’s emotional intelligence at work.

Controlling Emotions

After you know what you’re feeling, the next step is handling those emotions without letting them get the best of you. For example, if you’re angry, instead of yelling, you might take deep breaths or count to ten. This keeps you in charge of your feelings.

Understanding Others

Emotional Intelligence also involves figuring out how others are feeling. This could mean noticing if a friend is upset even if they haven’t said anything. When you can tell how someone else is feeling, you can be a better friend and help them.

Influencing Emotions

Lastly, EI helps you help others with their feelings. If your friend is sad, you might try to cheer them up. By doing this, you’re using your EI to make a positive change in someone else’s day.

500 Words Essay on Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions. It also involves noticing and influencing the feelings of others. Imagine it as a skill that helps us deal with the world of emotions just like we use our mind to solve math problems.

The first part of emotional intelligence is about being aware of your own emotions. It’s like having a little voice inside your head that tells you, “Hey, you’re feeling really happy because you scored well on a test!” or “You’re sad because you missed your friend.” Knowing what we feel helps us handle our emotions better.

Managing Emotions

Empathy: feeling with others.

Emotional intelligence also means understanding how others feel. This is called empathy. When a friend is sad, and you understand and feel for them, that’s empathy. It’s like putting yourself in their shoes and seeing the world from their eyes.

Friendship Skills

Knowing about emotions helps us make and keep friends. It’s important in sharing, taking turns, and listening. When we can tell how our friends feel, we can be better friends. We can cheer them up when they’re down or enjoy happy times together.

Solving Problems

Learning and school.

Believe it or not, emotional intelligence can even help with learning. When we’re calm and happy, we can focus better on our schoolwork. Also, by understanding our feelings, we can handle stress and not let it get in the way of homework or tests.

In the end, emotional intelligence is a key part of growing up and dealing with life. It’s not just about being smart in the head but also smart with the heart. When we understand and manage our emotions, we can make better choices, be good friends, and do well in school. It’s a skill that we keep improving all our lives, and it helps us become the best we can be.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

• November 2022
• 6(10):2254-2275
• This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.

• Banaras Hindu University

Discover the world's research

• 25+ million members
• 160+ million publication pages
• 2.3+ billion citations
• D H Apa Citation Mrisho
• Samweli Mseti
• Chicago Citation

• Shazwani Zulkafli
• Arnida Jahya

• Raymunda L. Apostol
• Marina Villanueva Iglesias

• Jesse Singleton Sr
• Kevin Richardson
• ساندي فاروق إبراهيم كردي

• Susan Lee Goldman
• Tibor P. Palfai

• Robert Klitgaard

• M.A. McDaniel

• David R. Caruso
• Recruit researchers
• Join for free
• Login Email Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google Welcome back! Please log in. Email · Hint Tip: Most researchers use their institutional email address as their ResearchGate login Password Forgot password? Keep me logged in Log in or Continue with Google No account? Sign up

How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

An overview of the importance of Emotional Intelligence for your own success and the success of your organization.

Harvard DCE Professional & Executive Development

Today’s in-demand skills are increasingly technical in nature. However, there’s a corresponding need for the uniquely human ability to work with and through others to accomplish important goals.

Enter emotional intelligence (EI), a set of skills that help us recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions as well as recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others.

We recently spoke with Margaret Andrews , instructor of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership , about how people can build EI for better interpersonal relations. Andrews is the former associate dean at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education and executive director at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

“Emotional intelligence is critical in building and maintaining relationships and influencing others — key skills that help people throughout their career and wherever they sit in an organizational structure,” says Andrews.

Additionally, research suggests that people with a high emotional quotient (EQ) are more innovative and have higher job satisfaction than those with lower EQs.

Let’s dive into what exactly EI entails, and how you can improve on this essential component of successful relationships.

What Are the Components of Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is a set of skills and behaviors. While some people will be naturally more adept at certain aspects, EI can be learned, developed, and enhanced.

The four main components of EI are self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and social skills:

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to identify and understand your own emotions and the impact we have on others. It’s the cornerstone of emotional intelligence and the other components of EI depend on this self-awareness.

“It all starts with self-awareness, which is foundation of EI, and it builds from there. If you’re aware of your own emotions and the behaviors they trigger, you can begin to manage these emotions and behaviors,” says Andrews.

Our emotions impact our mood, behaviors, performance, and interactions with other people. “We are all having emotions all the time,” says Andrews, “the question is whether you are aware of these emotions and the impact they have on your behavior — and other people.”

According to Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist, researcher, and author of Insight , people who are self-aware tend to be more confident and more creative. They also make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively.

Self-Regulation

Self-awareness opens the door to self-regulation, which is the ability to manage these emotions and behaviors. Once we’re aware of our emotions, we can begin to manage them and keep the disruptive emotions and impulses under control.

“People with strong self-regulation can pause and take a deep breath in tense and stressful situations, explains Andrews, “which helps them remain calm and think before they speak or act.”

These people tend toward a positive outlook and are adaptable to a variety of situations and circumstances. “On the flip side,” she says, “those that cannot contain their negative emotions and impulses often set off a chain reaction of negative emotions in others.”

“There’s an old adage that people join organizations and leave managers,” says Andrews, “and it’s true. So, companies — or managers — that have high turnover rates should take a look in the mirror.”

Social Awareness

Social awareness is our ability to understand the emotions of others and a key component of this is empathy.

Jamil Zaki, a Stanford professor and author of The War for Kindness , describes empathy as having three components — identifying what others feel, sharing this emotion, and wishing to improve their experience.

“It’s not about how you would feel in their situation, but rather, how they actually feel,” says Andrews.

People with strong social awareness tend toward kindness. However, this doesn’t mean they cannot give others difficult feedback — in fact, they may be better at delivering this ‘tough love’ because they understand the other person and want to help them improve.

Social Skills

“Social skills are what separate a great manager from a good one,” says Andrews.

These skills, which include influence, conflict management, teamwork, and the ability to inspire others, make it possible to build and maintain healthy relationships in all parts of your life.

People with strong social skills can make an enormous difference on a team and in organizations because they understand others and act on this knowledge to move people toward a common goal.

To improve your emotional intelligence, you need to start at the beginning, with self-awareness. However, gauging your self-awareness is innately difficult because, as Andrews puts it, “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Search all Communication programs.

Research Reveals Barriers to Self-Awareness

Without an objective sense of who you are and what drives you, it’s nearly impossible to be emotionally intelligent. Andrews cites a study by Tasha Eurich which found that 95 percent of participants gave themselves high marks in self-awareness.

However, using more empirical measures of self-awareness, the study found that only 10-15 percent of the cohort was truly self-aware.

That’s a pretty big gap, and one that suggests most of us aren’t very self-aware. What’s worse, research also shows that managers and CEOs may be the least self-aware of all. This is not despite their authority, but quite possibly because of it.

Eurich wrote in the Harvard Business Review that the more power someone obtains, the more likely they are to be overconfident about how well they know themselves. After all, those at the top of the chain have fewer people giving them feedback.

Often, when managers do receive feedback from employees, it isn’t as honest as it might be because subordinates are afraid of incurring negative consequences. Managers are insulated from criticism, and as a result, self-awareness sinks.

Receiving honest, constructive feedback is key to becoming self-aware. Andrews notes that a 360-degree emotional intelligence assessment can be a very effective way to gain insight into your EI-components and the impact you have on others.

“Many people shrug off differences in how they rate themselves versus how others rate them on EI competencies by saying that they’re too hard on themselves or that others don’t really understand their intent,” says Andrews, “but really it shows a lack of self-awareness.”

What Are the Signs of Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is a set of skills and behaviors that can be learned and developed. Here are some telltale signs of people with low EQ and those with high EQ.

People with low EQ:

• Often feels misunderstood
• Get upset easily
• Become overwhelmed by emotions
• Have problems being assertive

People with high EQ:

• Understand the links between their emotions and how they behave
• Remain calm and composed during stressful situations
• Are able to influence others toward a common goal
• Handle difficult people with tact and diplomacy

Three Steps Toward Improved Emotional Intelligence

Developing emotional intelligence is an ongoing process. The journey differs from person to person. Nonetheless, according to Andrews, the following actions may lead you to better self-awareness, empathy, and social skills.

1. Recognize your emotions and name them

What emotions are you feeling right now? Can you name them? When in a stressful situation, what emotions typically arise? How would you like to respond in these situations? Can you stop to pause and reconsider your response? Taking a moment to name your feelings and temper your reactivity is an integral step toward EI.

2. Ask for feedback

Audit your self-perception by asking managers, colleagues, friends, or family how they would rate your emotional intelligence. For example, ask them about how you respond to difficult situations, how adaptable or empathetic you are, and/or how well you handle conflict. It may not always be what you want to hear, but it will often be what you need to hear.

3. Read literature

Studies show that reading literature with complex characters can improve empathy . Reading stories from other people’s perspectives helps us gain insight into their thoughts, motivations, and actions and may help enhance your social awareness.

How to Establish a Culture of Emotional Intelligence

Building E.I. in yourself is one thing, but influencing others to adopt a more empathetic mindset can be a challenge. To create a culture of high EQ, managers and supervisors must model emotionally intelligent behavior.

“If you want to change how your organization does in EI, you can set norms for how people communicate and how they disagree,” says Andrews.

In addition, you need to recognize and celebrate those that exhibit emotional intelligence.;

“Start making heroes of people who help other people,” says Andrews. “It’s not just the person who got to the top of the mountain first — it’s all the people who helped them. If you want to encourage good team behavior, recognize it, and call it out for what it is.”

Find related Communication programs.

Browse all Professional & Executive Development programs.

About the Author

10 emerging skills for professionals.

Ten critical soft skills leaders should maximize to improve their leadership capabilities and successfully advance their careers.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

• Emotional Intelligence

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is generally said to include a few skills: namely emotional awareness, or the ability to identify and name one’s own emotions; the ability to harness those emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving; and the ability to manage emotions, which includes both regulating one’s own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the same.

• The Roots of Emotional Intelligence
• How to Cultivate Emotional Intelligence

The theory of emotional intelligence was introduced by Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer in the 1990s, and further developed and brought to the lay public by Daniel Goleman . The concept, also known as emotional quotient or EQ, has gained wide acceptance. However, some psychologists argue that because EQ cannot be captured via psychometric tests (as can, for example, general intelligence ), it lacks true explanatory power.

The emotionally intelligent are highly conscious of their own emotional states, even negative ones—from frustration or sadness to something more subtle. They are able to identify and understand what they are feeling, and being able to name an emotion helps manage that emotion . Because of this, the emotionally intelligent have high self-confidence and are realistic about themselves.

A person high in EQ is not impulsive or hasty with their actions. They think before they do. This translates into steady emotion regulation , or the ability to reduce how intense an emotion feels. Taking anger or anxiety down a notch is called down-regulation . The emotionally intelligent are able to shift gears and lighten mood, both internally and externally.

Such people are especially tuned into the emotions that others experience. It’s understandable that sensitivity to emotional signals both from within oneself and from one's social environment could make one a better friend, parent, leader , or romantic partner. Being in tune with others is less work for others.

This person is able to recognize and understand the emotions of others, a skill tied to empathy. The person with a high EQ can hear and understand another person’s point of view clearly. The empathic are generally supportive of the people in their lives, and they easily modulate their emotions to match the mood of another person as well.

This is a subject of active debate within the field. Some personality psychologists argue that emotional intelligence can be more parsimoniously described by traits such as agreeableness , and even charisma . A  highly charismatic person, for example, is socially adept and can quickly read a room.

We are naturally drawn to a person with high EQ. We are comfortable and at ease with their easy rapport. It feels as though they can read social cues with superhuman ability. Perhaps they can even mind-read how other people feel to some extent. This effortlessness is welcome in all domains of life—at home, in social settings, and at work. Who wouldn’t want a boss who understood how you are feeling and what you are trying to accomplish?

Yes, you can. You can start by learning to identify the emotions you are feeling as well as understanding them. If you are able to name the emotion you are feeling, you have a better chance of understanding what you are feeling. You can also learn to better regulate your emotions just by stopping and thinking before you act and judge. These skills will help you martial inner resolve and stick to what really matters in life.

While some studies have found a link between emotional intelligence and job performance, many others have shown no correlation whatsoever, and the lack of a scientifically valid scale makes it difficult to truly measure or predict how emotionally intuitive a person may be on the job or in other areas of life.

These people are able to mobilize and utilize their emotions, and they are motivated to manage tasks and problem-solve obstacles. They are connected to who they are and what they value in life, which are foundational for prioritizing and reaching any objective or goal. Knowing what matters is crucial for productivity .

In recent years, some employers have incorporated emotional intelligence tests into their application and interview processes, on the theory that someone high in emotional intelligence would make a better leader or coworker . However, it is not clear if these measures are accurate or even useful.

Testing for EQ in the workplace, for example, is difficult because there is no validated psychometric test or scale for emotional intelligence as there is for the general intelligence factor—and many argue that emotional intelligence is therefore not an actual construct, but a way of describing interpersonal skills.

Are you and your partner stuck in the same old areas of conflict? Consider that you may need to take your communication skillset to a more mature level. Here's how.

Therapy is exposure to tough emotions, exposure to problems that need to be worked out, exposure to the things that we avoid because they are painful and hard.

Exploring the hazards of parental perfectionism and what it means to be "good enough."

If the presidential campaign is political theater, then emotional categories of aesthetic experiences can be used to frame current events.

Many struggle with anger, fearing its impact. Yet, anger signals unmet needs and can fuel change.

Mental health has come to the forefront of societal issues in recent years. While there are various resources available in society to help us, this journey must start within.

Personal Perspective: We all go through it, no one is immune, and nothing produces more universal shame in our society than aging.

Why don’t some people make progress in therapy? Find out the most common reasons why.

A new study shows that when someone is truly present with us, we feel secure and can move closer to our goals. What does this imply about relationships in distracted times?

Getting tired of emotional roller coasters in your relationships? Mastering them may just be key to developing a better personal and private life. What's to lose?

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult. A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers.

• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

Examples Of Emotional Intelligence

Sara Viezzer

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc in Applied Neuropsychology

Sara Viezzer is a graduate of psychological studies at the University of Bristol and Padova. She has worked as an Assistant Psychologist in the NHS for the past two years in neuroscience and health psychology. Sara is presently pursuing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Learn about our Editorial Process

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.

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.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions while acknowledging and engaging with the emotions of others (Goleman, 1996).

Emotional intelligence comprises a set of skills, including empathy , problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and the capacity to regulate our own emotions. 

It plays a significant role in the contemporary world and is a better predictor of success, quality of relationships, and life satisfaction than intellectual intelligence (IQ) (Koubova and Buchko, 2013). 

In addition, research suggests that people with a higher emotional quotient (EQ) are more innovative and perform better in both academic and work environments (MacCann et al., 2020; Krén and Séllei, 2021). 

Emotional Intelligence in Everyday Life

Every day, we experience various emotions that drive us to feel or behave a certain way. 

We feel before we think, and this is an adaptive mechanism designed to respond quickly to stimuli in the environment. However, our minds also evolved in a way that allows us to reflect on and regulate our emotions so that they do not control our actions (Goleman, 2001). 

The ‘pause before you act’ is an example of how we can prevent temporary emotions from overriding us.

Thinking before lashing out at someone because we feel stressed or carefully evaluating a situation before attributing one’s fault are some of the little efforts we can take to separate our emotions from our thoughts and behaviors.

Taking other people’s perspectives before judging or labeling them also facilitates the expression of empathetic behaviors, making people feel more comfortable about sharing their experiences. This, in turn, helps create deeper connections with others in the longer term.

Apologizing for our own mistakes and practicing forgiveness are also simple actions that can reinforce healthy relationships that are based on reciprocal respect. By setting aside unhelpful emotions, including pride and resentment, it is possible to prioritize our relationship over our ego.

Emotional Intelligence in Education

In education, EI is regarded as an important skill for students to develop, both for their academic performance and future careers. 

Although factors such as IQ and conscientiousness are the stronger predictors of academic achievement, several studies also found a positive correlation with EI, with evidence of incremental validity over other variables (MacCann et al., 2020).

Different explanations have been provided on what factors may account for this association. 

First, students with higher EI could be better able to manage challenging emotions related to academic performance, including anxiety , boredom, and disappointment.

In addition, greater EI may promote the formation of more positive relationships with peers, teachers, and family, resulting in an enriched supportive system around the student.

Furthermore, EI might help students perform better in humanistic subjects requiring correct understanding and expression of emotions, such as arts and literature. 

As EI is becoming an increasingly important component of students’ curricula, there is a growing demand for teachers to implement behaviors informed by EI principles in classrooms (Mortiboys, 2013).

This means promoting collaboration between students, creating opportunities for reflection and metacognition, and encouraging assertive communication to meet students’ needs and values.

Emotional Intelligence in Relationships

Since EI also includes the ability to understand and empathize with the emotions of others, it is crucial for developing strong and good-quality relationships. 

In a research study, EI was positively related to higher scores on empathetic perspective-taking and self-monitoring in social situations, meaning that people with higher EI were better able to understand social contexts and adjust their self-presentation accordingly (Schutte et al., 2001). 

In addition, EI predicted the level of cooperation and affection in romantic relationships. In couples where one partner had high EI, they demonstrated overall better relationship satisfaction. 

The possible underlying reasons are that EI can help lead more productive conversations, allowing for better intimacy in relationships. At the same time, it is a useful tool for managing conflicts constructively, understanding others’ negative emotions, and being more open to negotiation (Schutte et al., 2001). 

Some practical behaviors that can help build emotionally intelligent relationships are taking care and developing strategies to support each other, practicing transparent communication without making assumptions to be able to attune to others’ feelings, and using changes in circumstances as an opportunity to redefine and revitalize our relationships (Zeidner, Matthews and Roberts, 2012).

Emotional Intelligence at Work

EI in the workplace has been associated with a greater likelihood of professional growth, both for the individual and for companies. 

A boost in overall productivity at work has been observed in employees that are emotionally intelligent and seem to be more committed to their careers and organization (Miao, Humphrey, and Qian, 2017). 

In addition, the interpersonal aspects of EI can facilitate work interactions by allowing a greater degree of openness to other people’s perspectives, which can, in turn, enhance the success of leadership (Fianko, Jnr, and Dzogbewu, 2020).

For example, practicing active listening during meetings and showing appreciation for the initiatives of others can foster trust and cooperation between co-workers.

As companies now tend to rely more on effective teamwork, the ability to clearly communicate tasks and objectives also plays a pivotal role (Krén and Séllei, 2021). Being aware of our communication skills as well as the listener’s level of comprehension can prevent misunderstandings and uncertainty about the most effective course of action. 

In addition, the ability of leaders to communicate the purpose and values of an organization can help develop a collective sense of goals, generating greater enthusiasm and commitment.

Being open to and providing constructive feedback while avoiding criticism is also an important element for professional development in employees, who can work on becoming a better version of themselves without feeling demotivated.

This can be promoted by clearly identifying areas of improvement while providing new learning opportunities and rewarding excellent work (Chernis et al., 1998).

Examples of low emotional intelligence 

Low EI is characterized by the inability to perceive emotions accurately and maintain meaningful social interactions (Goleman, 1996)

There are various ways in which this can manifest. People with low EI may struggle to listen to others’ perspectives and have difficulty acknowledging their own mistakes, with the risk of provoking argumentative conversations. 

They may also have little insight into how their emotions drive inappropriate behaviors, failing to understand when something they say is insensitive or tending to blame others for their problems.

Low EI may also present with frequent emotional outbursts or changes in mood , which reflects a reduced ability to control emotions.

Finally, people with low EI may have a very limited social circle due to reduced empathy and connectedness in relationships and difficulty maintaining an equal balance between give and take. 

Components of Emotional Intelligence

According to Daniel Goleman’s model, first outlined in his book Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ (1996), there are four main competencies of emotional intelligence (Figure 1).

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to accurately assess our own emotions, including their origin and the external events that trigger them. It provides a useful tool for decision-making, allowing us to base our actions on true facts rather than impulsive reactions. 

It also encompasses awareness about our own capabilities – strengths and weaknesses – knowing how our emotions are brought up by specific circumstances.

This consequently leads to better self-confidence as we have the power to choose emotional responses that are more appropriate to the context. 

Self-Management

Self-management is the capacity to regulate emotions and impulses in a productive way and to be resilient in the face of changing circumstances. 

People with strong self-regulation skills tend to be better able to act with integrity and in line with their own values when making decisions (trustworthiness), and they take responsibility for their own actions (conscientiousness).

In addition, they engage in realistic efforts to improve their performance, trying to take the initiative to maximize their chances of success. 

Social Awareness

Social awareness entails the ability to empathize with others’ emotions, even when these are not expressed explicitly, and to comprehend the social contexts and group dynamics they occur in.

Through empathy, it is possible to create a strong emotional bond with others, showing sensitivity to their feelings and responding in ways that validate them.

Social awareness also allows an understanding of the forces and power dynamics present in relationships and influences a person’s emotions.

Relationship Management 

Relationship management is the ability to inspire, influence, and motivate others while managing hostile situations with diplomacy and strategy. 

It involves practicing active listening toward others’ needs and maintaining open and clear communication to develop strong and positive relationships.

It also includes the capacity to deal with conflict and maintain leadership skills when motivating a group to work towards a common goal.

The model, therefore, distinguishes between awareness (recognition of emotions) and management (regulation of emotions) applied to the self and others . 

Figure 1. Readapted from Singh et al., 2022

How can emotional intelligence be increased?

Despite EI being correlated with personality traits, there is also evidence of it being a skill that can be improved with time and as our social interactions evolve (Nelis et al., 2009; Serrat, 2017). 

Below are some ways in which emotional intelligence can be increased:

Develop emotional awareness

• Acknowledging, identifying, and naming our feelings can increase emotional awareness. 
• A simple way to do this is by exploring our emotional reactions to life events with curiosity to validate feelings rather than avoiding them. 
• Practicing mindfulness is also a proven method of gaining perspective on our feelings. 
• Once we gain self-awareness, we also become more resilient to challenges, as we are better able not to feel overcome by adversity.

Practice active listening

• Practicing attentive listening to attune to other people’s feelings can help develop empathy. 
• While talking to others, it is important to avoid interrupting them or relating the conversation to ourselves, noticing the signals that indicate how the other person is feeling. 
• This can increase our ability to understand their emotional needs and identify ways to offer help. 

Assertive communication

• Assertive communication, which involves clearly expressing our perspectives, desires, and needs, can enhance our relationship with others as they can better understand our point of view. 
• To increase assertiveness, we can try and identify which emotions are more difficult for us to share and rehearse ways to express them.

Acknowledge others’ emotions

• When dealing with personal or job-related conflicts, it is important to acknowledge first the emotions that the counterpart is expressing. 
• This can help reduce stress levels and gives space to resolve the problem more objectively. 

Reframe the situation

• The second step is trying to reframe a problematic situation in a positive way, suggesting possible ways to help or finding a compromise to move toward conflict resolution.
• Setting concrete goals to promote emotionally intelligent behaviors in everyday life may involve being more present for others and engaging in more meaningful conversations. 
• To track our progress, we can ask our close ones for feedback and constantly identify areas of improvement.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is emotional intelligence important.

Possessing strong EI skills can have an overall positive impact on our life. It brings better awareness of our own feelings, allowing us to handle challenging situations with greater control and flexibility.

In addition, it helps create deeper connections with other people, strengthening the social support system around us and improving our mental well-being. People with high EI also seem to report better work-life balance as they can reconcile their roles in different aspects of their life.

When is emotional intelligence important?

EI is particularly important when dealing with everyday stressful situations. Preventing the escalation of negative emotions allows the introduction of more positive emotional states, protecting our general mental health and well-being. 

EI also plays a pivotal role in our ability to make objective decisions. Through EI skills, it is possible to be aware of superfluous emotions that can negatively influence the decision-making process and disregard them to enhance our ability to reach the final outcome. 

Finally, through greater emotional awareness, we can understand more clearly what our goals are and identify the motivations to accomplish them.

How does emotional intelligence make a good leader?

EI has proven to be a significant predictor of effective leadership and trust development in leader-employee interactions. 

Leaders with high EI can integrate the view of others when developing strategic plans directed towards a common goal and are committed to fostering a sense of purpose in their employees (Kennedy, Campis, and Leclerc, 2020). 

In addition, they prioritize the developmental needs of others, providing opportunities for professional development and reinforcing learning behaviors.

In general, with leadership tasks in an organization involving more complex and collaborative work, practicing relationship management skills becomes increasingly important.

Cherniss, C., Goleman, D., Emmerling, R., Cowan, K., & Adler, M. (1998). Bringing emotional intelligence to the workplace.  New Brunswick, NJ: Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, Rutgers University , 1-34.

Fianko, S. K., Jnr, S. A. J. S. A., & Dzogbewu, T. C. (2020). Does the interpersonal dimension of Goleman’s emotional intelligence model predict effective leadership?.  African Journal of Business and Economic Research ,  15 (4), 221.

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

Goleman, D. (2001). An EI-based theory of performance.  The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and organizations ,  1 (1), 27-44.

Kennedy, K., Campis, S., & Leclerc, L. (2020). Human-Centered Leadership: Creating Change From the Inside Out.  Nurse Leader ,  18 (3), 227-231.

Koubova, V., & Buchko, A. A. (2013). Life‐work balance: Emotional intelligence as a crucial component of achieving both personal life and work performance.  Management Research Review .

Krén, H., & Séllei, B. (2021). The role of emotional intelligence in organizational performance.  Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences ,  29 (1), 1-9.

MacCann, C., Jiang, Y., Brown, L. E., Double, K. S., Bucich, M., & Minbashian, A. (2020). Emotional intelligence predicts academic performance: A meta-analysis.  Psychological bulletin ,  146 (2), 150.

Miao, C., Humphrey, R. H., & Qian, S. (2017). A meta‐analysis of emotional intelligence and work attitudes.  Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology ,  90 (2), 177-202.

Mortiboys, A. (2013).  Teaching with emotional intelligence: A step-by-step guide for higher and further education professionals . Routledge.

Nelis, D., Quoidbach, J., Mikolajczak, M., & Hansenne, M. (2009). Increasing emotional intelligence:(How) is it possible?.  Personality and individual differences ,  47 (1), 36-41.

Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Bobik, C., Coston, T. D., Greeson, C., Jedlicka, C., Rhodes, E. & Wendorf, G. (2001). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations.  The Journal of social psychology ,  141 (4), 523-536.

Serrat, O. (2017). Understanding and developing emotional intelligence. In  Knowledge solutions  (pp. 329-339). Springer, Singapore.

Singh, A., Prabhakar, R., & Kiran, J. S. (2022). Emotional Intelligence: A Literature Review Of Its Concept, Models, And Measures.  Journal of Positive School Psychology ,  6 (10), 2254-2275.

Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., & Roberts, R. D. (2012).  What we know about emotional intelligence: How it affects learning, work, relationships, and our mental health . MIT press.

Home — Essay Samples — Psychology — Emotional Intelligence — Emotional Intelligence’ by Daniel Goleman: A Reflective Analysis

Emotional Intelligence' by Daniel Goleman: a Reflective Analysis

• Categories: Book Review Emotional Intelligence

About this sample

Words: 1250 |

Published: Dec 3, 2020

Words: 1250 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature Psychology

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

5 pages / 2067 words

1 pages / 641 words

1 pages / 622 words

2 pages / 839 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Emotional Intelligence

Maturity, a concept central to personal development, is a multifaceted construct that encompasses various emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions. This essay explores the complexity of maturity, beyond chronological age, [...]

In conclusion, maturity is an essential attribute that contributes to personal growth, healthy relationships, and a harmonious society. It encompasses emotional intelligence, responsibility, self-awareness, and the ability to [...]

Globalisation has changed the way businesses run their operations especially in the 21st century, and because of this the world has become more interconnected than ever before which has led to many multinational companies and [...]

Interpersonal communication forms the bedrock of human interaction, influencing relationships, professional success, and personal well-being. Defined as the process of exchanging messages between individuals through verbal and [...]

Talking about communication without recognizing the importance of emotions is impossible. Having the feeling of anger ruins one’s time while feeling calm helps a person in solving personal problems. Emotional intelligence is [...]

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion.” A leader’s ability to manage own emotions and that of their followers during communication plays a crucial role in [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

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.

• Educational Pension Investments Case
• Kepner-Tregoe Technique Application to Problem Solving
• A Bias of Screening Study by Lagziel and Lehrer
• Do Aliens and UFOs Exist?
• Friendship Influencing Decisions When on Duty
• The Ethical Decision-Making Model
• Customer Decision Making in Shopping Malls
• Systems Thinking Role in Sustainability Challenges
• Decision-Making Strategies and Techniques
• High-Tech Corporation Decision Making
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, October 21). Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership. https://ivypanda.com/essays/emotional-intelligence-and-effective-leadership/

"Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership." IvyPanda , 21 Oct. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/emotional-intelligence-and-effective-leadership/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership'. 21 October.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership." October 21, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/emotional-intelligence-and-effective-leadership/.

1. IvyPanda . "Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership." October 21, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/emotional-intelligence-and-effective-leadership/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership." October 21, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/emotional-intelligence-and-effective-leadership/.

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

• Basic site functions
• Ensuring secure, safe transactions
• Secure account login
• Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
• Remembering privacy and security settings
• Analyzing site traffic and usage
• Personalized search, content, and recommendations
• Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

• Remembering general and regional preferences
• Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .