"Emotional Intelligence"
Our Leadership Conference was very successful and opened our minds to a very interesting topic - "emotional intelligence." We may have heard this term before; but maybe didn't pay too much attention to it. What is "emotional intelligence"? To be intelligent about "emotions"? How can we become intelligent about our emotions and the emotions of those around us?
According to Daniel Goleman, one of my favorite authors now, "emotional intelligence refers to the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. It describes abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence, the purely cognitive capacities measured by IQ. Many people who are book smart but lack emotional intelligence end up working for people who have lower IQs than they but who excel in emotional intelligence skills."
In 1990, a comprehensive theory of emotional intelligence was proposed by two psychologists, Peter Salovey, from Yale University, and John Mayer (not the singer), from the University of New Hampshire. Many theorists have proposed variations on this same topic. Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence in terms of being able to monitor and regulate one's own feelings, and to use feelings to guide thought and action. They're still fine-tuning this theory. I guess some theories are never truly fully complete - there's always room for improvement and for trying to achieve mastery.
Dr. Goleman mentions in his work five basic emotional and social competencies (important qualities we should master):
Learning about emotional intelligence should become our lifetime's challenge. We MUST learn to become emotionally intelligent individuals to become better persons, increase our self-confidence, find a more rewarding job and get along better with others (our loved ones, our co-workers, our classmates, our friends and relatives, and all those around us). Our relationships will certainly become more positive and fulfilling. I firmly believe that it's essential to be more in touch with our feelings, attitudes, moods and emotions (in general). Of course parents, schools, and our environment highly influence our emotional development; but we always have the opportunity to change and improve ourselves, and to recognize and become more aware of our emotional needs. Then, hopefully, we can also learn to empower others, influencing them in positive ways and encouraging them to become better persons themselves. What do you think?
Check Dr. Goleman's site at: www.danielgoleman.info. You can find more information in the search engine of your choice and find his books in Amazon.com (my favorite place to buy books) or in your favorite bookstore. Daniel Goleman is the author of the international bestsellers, Emotional Intelligence, Working with Emotional Intelligence, and Social Intelligence and co-author (with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee) of Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.
Also check: www.teleosleaders.com for more information on this important topic. For a PDF on Emotional Intelligence go to "LDC" on their site.
According to Daniel Goleman, one of my favorite authors now, "emotional intelligence refers to the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. It describes abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic intelligence, the purely cognitive capacities measured by IQ. Many people who are book smart but lack emotional intelligence end up working for people who have lower IQs than they but who excel in emotional intelligence skills."
In 1990, a comprehensive theory of emotional intelligence was proposed by two psychologists, Peter Salovey, from Yale University, and John Mayer (not the singer), from the University of New Hampshire. Many theorists have proposed variations on this same topic. Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence in terms of being able to monitor and regulate one's own feelings, and to use feelings to guide thought and action. They're still fine-tuning this theory. I guess some theories are never truly fully complete - there's always room for improvement and for trying to achieve mastery.
Dr. Goleman mentions in his work five basic emotional and social competencies (important qualities we should master):
- Self-Awareness - knowing what we are feeling in the moment, and using those preferences to guide our decision making; having a realistic assessment of our own abilities and a well-grounded sense of self-confidence.
- Self-Regulation - handling our emotions so that they facilitate rather than interfere with the task at hand; being conscientious and delaying gratification to pursue goals; recovering well from emotional distress.
- Motivation - using our deepest preferences to move and guide us toward our goals, to help us take initiative and strive to improve, and to persevere in the face of setbacks and frustrations.
- Empathy - sensing what people are feeling, being able to take their perspective, and cultivating rapport and atunement with a broad diversity of people.
- Social Skills - handling emotions in relationships well and accurately reading social situations and networks; interacting smoothly; using these skills to persuade and lead, negotiate and settle disputes, for cooperation and teamwork.
Learning about emotional intelligence should become our lifetime's challenge. We MUST learn to become emotionally intelligent individuals to become better persons, increase our self-confidence, find a more rewarding job and get along better with others (our loved ones, our co-workers, our classmates, our friends and relatives, and all those around us). Our relationships will certainly become more positive and fulfilling. I firmly believe that it's essential to be more in touch with our feelings, attitudes, moods and emotions (in general). Of course parents, schools, and our environment highly influence our emotional development; but we always have the opportunity to change and improve ourselves, and to recognize and become more aware of our emotional needs. Then, hopefully, we can also learn to empower others, influencing them in positive ways and encouraging them to become better persons themselves. What do you think?
Check Dr. Goleman's site at: www.danielgoleman.info. You can find more information in the search engine of your choice and find his books in Amazon.com (my favorite place to buy books) or in your favorite bookstore. Daniel Goleman is the author of the international bestsellers, Emotional Intelligence, Working with Emotional Intelligence, and Social Intelligence and co-author (with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee) of Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.
Also check: www.teleosleaders.com for more information on this important topic. For a PDF on Emotional Intelligence go to "LDC" on their site.
posted by Karol B. Feld at
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