How Emotional Intelligence Can Save Your Career And Your Life
By Perminus Wainaina
When you think “emotional intelligence” what comes to your mind?
For me, emotional intelligence or “EQ” simply means being aware of your emotions and those of others.
And once you know this, it’s all about your ability to control your emotions and motivate yourself to be the best you can possibly be.
You will notice that the people who succeed in their personal lives, family and especially in their careers are those who have a high EQ.
Why? Because they know how to manage their emotions in a way that favors career success, builds networks and creating mutually beneficial relationships.
Whereas Intelligence Quotient (IQ) cannot be learned, Emotional Intelligence can be acquired.
Actually, research shows that the most successful people are those with a high EQ as opposed to IQ.
So how can emotional save your career and ultimately your life?
Through these 5 proven ways…
- Emotional intelligence is linked to soft skills
In today’s corporate world, soft skills are becoming more of a necessity compared to hard or technical skills.
This is because the job market is extremely saturated and on top of that, certain skills determine whether you perform well at your job or not.
People with a high EQ possess valuable soft skills like the ability to form functional inter-personal relationships and team work and problem solving skills.
Because of their social or soft skills, they are also able to empathize with their colleagues who may be struggling with varied emotions at each given time.
- People with a high EQ earn a higher salary
Scientists and researchers have linked emotional intelligence to a higher salary.
This is because they know how to read and understand the emotions of other including their bosses. Therefore they leverage on the perfect opportunity to ask for a pay increase.
They also come with facts to justify why they deserve a salary increment; they use logic to argue their case and above all, they are able to handle with decorum the response they get.
Moreover, people with a high EQ tend to be more productive hence have a higher salary.
- Emotionally intelligent people know how to build the right networks
Your level of EQ will help you build in networking and in building connections that will help you in your career and even personal life.
Because high EQ people, have acquired the right social skills and are self-motivated, they know exactly how to network.
They don’t waste an opportunity to get contacts and make acquaintances with people who will help their careers in the short and long run.
- You will gain more success and results with a high EQ
Emotionally intelligent people are results driven and often play a pro-active role in any team.
They champion the team towards attaining the company goal by coming up with innovative ways to meet targets.
They also encourage and support their team members and offer help where one of them is stuck.
They put their differences aside for the good of the team and the company.
- Emotionally intelligent people hold leadership positions
The higher you rise up the career ladder, the more it becomes about you as a leader.
This is why it is imperative for leaders to be highly emotionally intelligent.
They are decision makers and their every decision they make for the company must be sound, objective and for the greater good.
Imagine having a boss who is constantly moody, unapproachable, demeans his/her staff and sets completely unrealistic goals.
That is a clear indication of a leader who lacks emotional intelligence.
Unfortunately such leaders don’t make it very long.
So in whatever position you are, whether leading a small team, an SME, a large company, realize that your emotional intelligence abilities are felt in the entire organization.
Let me emphasize that…
Emotional intelligence can and WILL determine key outcomes in your life.
Whether it’s in your career or personal life, the more you become aware of your emotions, those of others and learn how to manage them, the greater satisfaction you will experience.
See What I Mean Here >>> Why You Need Emotional Intelligence To Succeed
So, do you consider yourself an emotionally intelligent person?
Let me hear in the comments section below…
Dear Perminus Wainaina,
This EQ topic is a BANG`! Unfortunately am the kind of person who does not know how to pretend that am contented with anything directed to me good or bad.I cannot let it go unattended. I reciprocate accordingly. This comes out automatically from my heart. If i happen to use obscene language in an office set up, i feel obliged to apologize but i toss it to the person who made me react that way in the first place. This leaves me with an awkward feeling whole of that day or next 2-3 days at work but i get out of it by concentrating with my goals set. my BIG QUESTION to you is “how can i deal with annoying/irritating staff and their behaviors at work without loosing my EQ?”
I have had difficult moments in trying to be an understanding person. At last I made it and I no longer see people as difficult. It’s a nice technique in leadership
yes, I am, in my career time, have been able to create networks of many previous colleagues by understanding what they are good at, what they cannot and learn from them, where they are not good at and gives them hard time, I supported and guided them and they eventually succeeded, if I notice certain goals set does not favour them to achieve targets, I design new methodology and simpler formula for them to find it easy and achievable hence surpassing the set target. I remember while I was at East African breweries working as night warehouse operations controller, my shift was always surpassing the target set yet those who were working under my shift never went through hardship to achieve those targets, besides all those who were under me became so close to me to the extend that they could approach me for literally every advice in the course of their work, I supported them adviced and even offered training to help them understand how best and which technique’s to apply to be able to achieve what they are required of, most especially in scenarios where there were shortage and breakdown of resources like forklifts, trucks and natural obstacles like rain, they learn to cope up and became the best, at the end those who were relocated to other shifts not being managed by me found a lot of difficulties and wished to come back, more so,colleagues in other shifts started requesting to be moved to my shift , because in most cases I never use to blame anyone for any failure unless I have trained and guided you and you failed, I could take responsibility of any hitches on ground where they happened and as a leader I didn’t foresee and offer proper guidance.
Surely not, fact l don’t know how to control some of my emotions. It’s pretty hard.