Patterson
Emotional Intelligence
Wikipedia defines emotional intelligence or EQ as “…the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups.” This definition is accurate, however doesn’t truly offer a thorough explanation of what makes up EQ. Self awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy, & effective relationships are the five competencies that make up emotional intelligence in a professional or social context. The following is description of each competency and the each one plays in a person’s EQ.
Self awareness is the foundation and, arguably the most important, competency of the five. Self awareness is embracing who you are as a person. Also, effectively identifying and understanding the numerous elements that combine to create you. It is impossible to possess a high EQ without having some idea of who you are. Knowing who you are also allows understanding of how others see you as well. Being aware of one’s self is critical to being in control of self development and being in control of the direction your life takes.
Self-Regulation is having the ability to have control yourself emotionally, being able to self modify behavior and thoroughly processing information before acting. If self awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence, self-regulation would be the frame of EQ. Knowing who you are is one thing but not providing yourself with structure and control over your emotions makes self awareness wasteful.
Self motivation is the ability to encourage yourself to carry on, especially after facing a setback. Self motivation separates the winners from the habitual losers. In order to be successful at anything in life one must know how to encourage themselves to reach their goals no matter how tough the task is.
The first of the last two EQ competencies is empathy. This is crucial to having the ability to connect with others professionally and personally. Empathy is ability to identify or show compassion with another person’s emotions and feelings through being objective and listening to what another person is experiencing. This should not be confused with sharing the same feelings as someone else. Individuals with high EQ can