With over three decades in healthcare, the corporate world, and being around a multitude of cultures, races, ethnicities, and environments — I have learned that emotional intelligence is so important to have and use. And it is more-so developed, practiced, and experienced than something learned.
Also, emotional intelligence has a stigma, where people think it is all about being nice. But this perception obscures the fundamental benefits to developing and harnessing its true POWER. Having emotional intelligence is all about having the ability to recognize, regulate, and understand emotions – both in oneself and in others.
When you have a high sense of emotional intelligence it can help you better connect with others, build empathetic connections, communicate more effectively, have the difficult conversations to where you can navigate conflict better, and better express your feelings.
I often tell people that I coach, consult with, and mentor, if you invest in one area of personal development, please make sure to spend time growing your emotional intelligence. It truly is that important and is a game changer in every area of your life, business, career, and within your networks.
Having emotional intelligence is so helpful with all different kinds of relationships, at home, work, and within the community.
To show you the POWER of emotional intelligence, here is a maxim I’d like to share. In the corporate and business world, there is a saying you will get hired for your IQ and fired for your emotional intelligence. Well, well, well, apparently, the best engineer, speech writer, or physician doesn’t get fired – but you will be asked to leave if you can’t get along with others. Consequently, playing well, being kind, respective and compassionate to others trumps smarts.
That’s even more the reason to harness the POWER of emotional intelligence. It is essentially about learning to pay attention, notice, see, hear, and actively listen. It is an understanding of yourself and others in terms of awareness and regulation.
When emotional intelligence is harnessed and used, I can imagine our world would be a better place. People would not be so harsh and filter less. Workplaces where colleagues communicate with empathy and sympathy, leaders inspire with transparency and authenticity, and teams collaborate harmoniously toward shared goals and not selfish gain. Of course this isn’t an idealistic utopia, but it would be the results of embracing, cultivating and harness emotional intelligence.
So, to harness and develop emotional intelligence comes with great intention, participation and willingness. Here are a several key steps and practices that I want to share with you that you can cultivated over time to enhance your emotional intelligence:
- Self-awareness: Make sure you are recognizing your emotions and paying attention to how you are feeling in different situations. Have an emotional temperature gauge where you can identify your emotional responses.
- Emotional Self-Management: With all that we have going on in our lives, businesses, careers, communities, and within the world, it is so vital that we take account for and manage our own emotions. For example, manage your stress levels constantly. A good practice that I use is relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness to just stay calm under pressure. Also, you know I love physical activity. Go for a quick walk to just clear your head and regroup. Physical activity truly can help regulate emotions and reduce stress. Also, develop some resilience by learning from your setbacks, challenges, and obstacles. Adapt to change positively through all circumstances.
- Influence and Leadership: When harnessing emotional intelligence you can inspire and motivate others. Use it to your advantage to build consensus, transform lives and outcomes, drive positive change, and get buy-in to your vision. Emotional intelligence is great for building collaborative relationships, where you can foster teamwork and cooperation by understanding and valuing the contributions of others. And remember to lead by example. As a leader, influencer, entrepreneur, activist – whatever your respective field is, know that modeling emotional intelligence in your behavior and decision-making, influences others to do the same.
- Relationship management: No matter what type of relationship it is (intimate, professional, friends) make sure you are setting boundaries, clear expectations, and communicate effectively. Clearly expressing your thoughts and feelings while being respectful of others’ viewpoints is key. Make sure you are also resolving any conflicts positively. Use problem-solving skills and compromise to address disagreements constructively. And build those relationships by cultivating them genuinely, by showing appreciation, offering support, and maintaining trust.
- Empathy: Just showing empathy and giving grace will save you time, energy, and emotional distress. Remember to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to understand their perspectives and emotions. And one of my favorites is to actively listen. Make sure you are paying full attention to others when they speak, without interrupting or judging them. Observe those non-verbal cues by noticing their body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to understand underlying emotions. Trust me on this — you will thank me later.
These are just a few practices to help you harness emotional intelligence and allow it to bring POWER and meaning into the way you treat and interact with others. By actively harnessing your emotional intelligence through these practices, you can enhance your relationships, life, business, career, leadership abilities, and overall well-being.
And as you know, our world is so very diverse in all the work that we are doing, so harnessing the POWER of emotional intelligence has been a game changer for me — and I hope it will be for you as well. I’ve seen it be so beneficial in helping others better navigate the complexity of their emotions, foster better relationships and environments – where empathy, authenticity, collaboration prevail – the tangible result of emotional intelligence.
Now, go out each day practicing emotional intelligence in all that you are doing so that you can bring that POWER into the purpose of what God has given you. You truly have a POWERFUL PURPOSE to live in this life. Do it with great intention, live it with your purpose, on purpose, and write a new page in your story each day.
Best,
-Dr. Z
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