Importance of emotional intelligence to build a strong personality

Have you ever been able to recognise the emotion you feel? Were you able to manage such feelings without letting them bog you? Are you self-motivated enough to get things done? Can you sense how others feel and respond to them courteously? 

Emotional Intelligence makes it happen!

 What is Emotional Intelligence?

The term ‘Emotional Intelligence’, was invented by the renowned psychologist Mayer and Salovey in 1990. EI is the ability to perceive, process and monitor emotional information precisely and effectually within oneself and in other beings. Emotional intelligence cultivates a fulfilled and extremely happy life by enhancing one’s capacity for empathy, stress management, resilience, reasoning, inspiration and capability to apprehend and resolve ample social conflicts and behaviors logically.

Every being existing in the ecosystem possesses different personality traits, different needs and different ways to express their emotions. Dealing with such mood swings and emotional turbulence in a way to bring out the best outcome while being humble and wise needs Emotional Intelligence. It plays a significant role in maintaining emotional equilibrium in our professional and personal lives.

“When our emotional health is in a bad state, so is our level of self-esteem. We have to slow down and deal with what is troubling us, so that we can enjoy the simple joy of being happy and at peace with ourselves, ” says Jess C Scott

 5 Classifications of Emotional Intelligence:

Self-Awareness: It is the ability to recognize and comprehend one’s emotional state and its impact on people around them. This is considered as the initial step towards contemplative self-evaluation that helps us to reveal behavior aspects of our psychology set-up which can be recognized to change for betterment.

Self-Regulation: The aptitude to handle one’s disruptive emotions and to acclimate to the changes in surroundings. Those who master skills in self-regulation are brilliant in managing conflicts and adjust well to the deviations and changes while being highly responsible and logical.

Motivation: The ability to be self-motivated intending to accomplish self-gratification more than external rewards and appreciations. Self-motivated people exhibit strong tendencies to deal with stressful situations more wisely and stay more committed and focused on their goals.

Empathy: The sense of understanding what others are going through and how do they feel before responding negatively is termed as empathy. It empowers people to apprehend the dynamics that impact relationships on professional and personal fronts.

Social Skills: It is the ability to manage emotions and feelings of people surrounding us at home or the workplace. Effective social skills assist people to build a positive and strong rapport and connection with others through skills like active listening and effective communication in a verbal and non-verbal manner.

Emotional Intelligence has been indicated to reveal an imperative part in accomplishing academic triumphs and improving psychological and physical well-being. Furthermore, it is a crucial element to establish an influencing professional personality. People with higher emotional intelligence bring better outcomes as compared to the people possessing lower emotional intelligence.

Recognising the importance of emotional intelligence in our lives is paramount as EI transforms our overall persona and makes us befit in the society and corporate world. From enhancing interpersonal communication to building healthy social relationships to redefining decision-making skills, to managing stressful environments patiently and boosting self-motivation – Emotional Intelligence acts as a canvas to frame all such skills effectively.

Values and Importance of Emotional Intelligence to build a strong personality

Considering both personal and professional values and benefits of Emotional Intelligence, the list becomes indeed vast as EI is an integral aspect of our personalities. It empowers us to productively exist in this extremely competitive and progressive environment.

EI supports developments towards academic and professional achievements

It strengthens relationships within the family, peers, corporate team members, and others by stimulating an in-depth sense of emotional understanding and belongingness

For instance: We usually face issues in managing work-life if our dear one is sick at home. In such a case, a team leader or manager with high EI can understand our emotional and mental stage and will respond effectively to minimize our miseries, at least on the professional front.

EI boosts self-confidence and enhances communication skills, enabling us to put our thoughts in front of others impactfully.

Proficiency in emotional intelligence is a mandate in intense and protracted domains of emotional work including managerial roles, social work, nursing, hospitality, the service industry, and the list goes on.

Higher EI encourages inclination towards empathic communication, developing affection, cooperating better with others and maintaining mutually benefitted social relationships.

EI facilitates to fight with chronic stress and protracted negative emotions such as anxiety, aggression, and depression which directly regulate progressions of hypertension, lower immunity, health diseases, delayed wound healing, diabetes, etc.

By Samira Gupta, Chief Image Consultant and Executive Coach