EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT; THE NEW IQ

“I ace my grades, aren’t I intelligent?”, “I graduated with a first class!”, “I contribute largely in my work place by bringing brainstorming ideas…’ “. Sounds brainy right?

If you have ever made any of the aforementioned statements, it shows that you are not just knowledgeable, you also have the degree of confidence that matches that intelligence. Kudos!

However, Friend, there is more to just being book smart. It is not enough to just be the nerd of the faculty. Why?

Let’s do a brain survey, shall we? Are the smartest people you know the most successful? Are they the most fulfilled? Do they live “A lives” just as much as they get A-grades?

I want to believe you probably know people who are academically brilliant and yet socially inept and unsuccessful at work or in their personal relationships. Do not get me wrong. Your intellect; your intelligence quotient (IQ) is a very important part of your success factor BUT it is not enough to achieve excellence in all facets of life.

Yes, your IQ can get you into college, but it is your EQ that helps you manage the stress and emotions when facing your final exams. IQ and EQ exist in tandem and are most effective when they acquiesce each another.

If you want to scale through life with so much success and fulfillment, you need to go beyond being a smart person. You must be an emotionally intelligent person. Because life does not reward us based on grades and work ethics only.

Let’s dive in, shall we? Emotional intelligence has been defined, by Peter Salovey and John Mayer, as “the ability to monitor one’s own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior”.

To put it simply, Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to understand, use and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence is important because it helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at school and work, and achieve your career and personal goals while keeping your sanity. Being an emotionally intelligent person helps you to connect with your feelings, turn intentions into actions and make informed decisions about what matters most to you.

Individuals have different personalities, wants, needs and ways of showing their emotions. Navigating through this requires tact and shrewdness — especially if one desires to succeed in life. This is where the emotional intelligence theory comes to play. In the most generic frame work, five domains of emotional intelligence cover together personal (self-awareness, self-regulation and self-motivation) and social (social awareness and social skills) competences.

They are;

SELF AWARENESS;

• Emotional awareness: This involves recognizing one’s emotions and their effects.

• Accurate self-assessment: Knowing one’s strengths and limits.

• Self-confidence: Sureness about one’s self-worth and capabilities.

SELF REGULATION

• Self-control: Managing disruptive emotions and impulses.

• Trustworthiness: Maintaining standards of honesty and integrity.

• Conscientiousness: Taking responsibility for personal performance.

• Adaptability: Flexibility in handling change.

• Innovative: Being comfortable with and open to ideas and new information.

SELF MOTIVATION

• Achievement drive: Striving to improve or meet a standard of excellence.

• Commitment: Aligning with the goals of the group or organization.

• Initiative: Readiness to act on opportunities.

• Optimism: Persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks

SOCIAL AWARENESS

• Empathy: Sensing others feelings and perspective, and taking an active interest in their concerns.

• Developing others: Sensing what others need in order to develop and bolster their abilities.

• Leveraging diversity: Cultivating opportunities through diverse people.

SOCIAL SKILLS

• Influence: Wielding effective tactics for persuasion.

• Communication: Sending clear