The importance of emotional intelligence in today’s world

The term Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is increasingly dominating conversations not just at companies or educational institutes, but also among researchers, leaders, and the media. Management theorists are now estimating that EQ is a critical way of differentiating star performers from the rest. What’s more, studies have revealed that it can contribute to up to 58 percent of workplace success.

While the concept of EQ is not new, the term Emotional Intelligence (EQ) was first coined in 1990 by two professors at Yale University, John D. Mayer of UNH and Peter Salovey. John Mayer defined emotional intelligence as “the ability to accurately perceive your own and others emotions, to understand the signals that emotions send about relationships, and to manage your own and others’ emotions.” In effect, EQ is characterized by the intangible behavior that helps in managing emotions, taking different perspectives, being empathetic, focused on human centricity, being socially aware, being flexible and adaptable, and focused on building meaningful relationships.

In the Vedanta philosophy and teachings, they have defined an evolved person as someone where the intellect is greater than the mind. The philosophy differentiates between intelligence and intellect with the latter being our ability to think, analyze, question, and reason in a way that exhibits control of our emotions.

What constitutes EQ?

A Harvard Business Review article from 1998 titled “What Makes a Leader” summarizes the key components of EQ quite effectively to include:

• Self- Awareness: The ability to understand your triggers, challenges, values, being honest about your capabilities and shortcomings, identifying what holds you back and understanding the impact of your emotions on those around you. It is also vital to deepen our understanding of the environment around us and manage expectations in that regard.
• Self-Regulation: If we go back to the Vedanta, expressing emotions like anger, anxiety, annoyance, etc. is only natural; however, managing those emotions effectively is where the ‘intellect’ governs the ‘mind.’ Self-regulation then includes self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness or taking responsibility, adaptability or resilience and innovation. It is also equally essential to accept and understand the environment around you to manage your expectations accordingly.
• Self-Motivation: Motivation, optimism, and commitment contribute to long-term professional success. It is essential to be proactive, constantly upgrade, stay relevant, be commercially aware, and rely on ourselves to take our careers forward.
• Empathy: Empathy is a key aspect of EQ building as it requires a human-centric approach, being non-judgmental, being open to different perspectives, increased sensitivity, and accepting situations and people for who they are. By being empathetic, you can develop more pronounced relationships, garner more support, and be perceived as more understanding.
• Social Skills: The development of good interpersonal skills forms a key component of EQ building as we engage with a variety of people across our work and life. With live interactions being overshadowed by digital communication, it becomes essential for all of us to work on our interpersonal skills actively. Some of these skills include active listening, high-impact communication, influencing others, handling conflicts and navigating difficult situations, relationship building, team-work, and cooperation.

           Why Emotional Intelligence Is Key In The Digital Age?

Much has been written about the relationship between a happy, positive workplace and an effective, productive workforce. But the definition of happiness can be misunderstood – often it is seen as the presence of positive emotions and the absence of negative ones, which can lead to work cultures that pressure people into faking positive emotions. Research has shown this “faking” can result in long-term physical and emotional illness.

Associating the state of being happy merely with being cheerful all the time creates another challenge as, in the case of academic institutions for example, happiness tends be classified as less serious, superficial and lightweight. This results in universities avoiding the conversation on developing “happy” graduates and adopting a “happiness agenda” for the holistic development of their students.

More work needs to be done to establish the most effective ways of developing emotional intelligence in young people across all walks of society. But if we are to take on the demands, complexities and shifting sands of the digital age, we will need happy, fulfilled, resilient people to embrace it; our universities have a part to play in teaching these essential skills. As do workplaces, where happy, fulfilled employees can mean increased productivity and turnover. People pretending to be happy in the workplace reaps no benefit for anyone.