Unlocking Professional Success: How Emotional Intelligence Can Take Your Career to Greater Heights

Emotional intelligence, or EI or EQ, is the ability to identify and manage emotions in oneself and others. EI can enhance productivity, resolve conflicts, and ultimately lead to tremendous success in your career.

But what exactly does emotional intelligence in the workplace entail?

The Three Components of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence comprises three main components:

1. First, accurately identify your emotions and the emotions of others.

2. Managing emotions, including controlling your emotions and the ability to influence others’ emotions.

3. Using emotions and applying them to tasks like thinking and problem-solving.

The Benefits of High Emotional Intelligence

Research has found that employees with high levels of emotional intelligence tend to be more successful at work.

Those with strong EI can:

• Solve problems

• Keep cool under pressure

• Resolve conflicts

• Listen, reflect, and respond to constructive criticism

In fact, according to one survey, emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of high performance. For example, 90% of top performers ranked high in emotional intelligence.

Using Emotional Intelligence for Professional Success

So how can you use your emotional intelligence to achieve workplace success? Here are five ways:

It helps You Be Self-Motivated

• Individuals with high levels of emotional intelligence tend to be self-motivated. Their primary motivation is not title or money but an innate drive to achieve and improve. They possess the self-drive to act on opportunities, a commitment to personal and organizational goals, and the capability to stay positive and keep going in the face of setbacks.

Increases Self-Awareness

• Self-awareness is critical to emotional intelligence and crucial to personal and organizational growth. Employees with high EI tend to be more self-aware. They understand how their actions can affect their colleagues and don’t let resentment or grievance affect their performance. They take feedback and criticism positively and are typically ready to learn from their mistakes.

Boosts Positivity

• A high level of emotional intelligence empowers positivity. Employees with a positive attitude don’t shy away from complex tasks and instead see failure as a learning opportunity. In addition, a positive attitude enables you to be more creative, resourceful, flexible, and open-minded.

Increases Empathy

• Empathy leads to stronger relationships, mutual respect, trust, and openness among employees. It helps you better understand your colleagues’ situation, actively listen, and act accordingly. Empathy enables everyone to work better as a team, connect with colleagues, and work together to achieve their common organizational goals.

Helps You Embrace Change

• Individuals with high levels of emotional intelligence typically embrace change. They understand that change is the only constant in life and can handle its psychological challenges. They can manage diverse demands from their stakeholders and shift priorities with ease.

Success Takes Many Forms

There are many paths to success, but emotional intelligence can help you achieve greater heights in your career. You can earn tremendous success in your career by using your emotional intelligence to be self-motivated, increase self-awareness, boost positivity, increase empathy, and embrace change.