The concept of "Emotional Intelligence" also referred to as "Emotional Quotient" [EQ] rose to prominence as a behavioural model with Daniel Goleman's 1995 book of the same name.
The original theory was developed twenty years previously by psychologists Howard Gardner , Peter Salovey and John 'Jack' Mayer.
The EQ model suggests that the conventional measure of intelligence [IQ], is too narrow and that there are wider areas of the emotional dimension that have a significant bearing on how we behave and perform in social and work situations, and thus on our success.
Goleman defines emotional intelligence as:
"The capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships"
He proposes that this is a learned capability. In other words, unlike the traditional measures of intellectual intelligence which cannot be learned, we can learn, practise and develop competencies that will expand and increase our emotional intelligence.
The 2 key themes
Goleman identified five key competencies of EQ as:
Personal Skills
This is about how we manage ourselves, for example: optimism, persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks
Social skills
This is about how how we manage relationships, for example:team capabilities, creating group synergy in pursuing collective goals
Emotional intelligence can be applied in many different areas of your life, and it will include some of the following behaviours:
The 7 Habits Of Emotionally Intelligent People
Emotional Intelligence - Review [slide presentation]
Emotional Intelligence - Book Review
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