What is the Definition of Emotional Intelligence?

Power Idea from Jerry Houston, President and CEO of HPISolutions

e-mo-tion-al in-tel-li-gence is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

“Emotional intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success”

In HPISolutions speak, Emotional Intelligence or, as we call it, Emotional Quotient (EQ), is the capability of an individual to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.  EQ, defined by Daniel Goleman in his best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence, is the array of skills and characteristics that drive leadership performance.

There are so many important, key words in these definitions that we, as leaders, must pay attention to if we want the edge that separates great leaders from good leaders.  Here are some examples:

• Aware
• Control
• Express
• Judicious
• Empathy
• Feelings
• Guide
• Adjust

Take a few minutes to think about these words with regard to our emotions.  It is critical to be aware of our emotions (self-awareness) and to be in control (self-regulation), to be able to express ourselves in an appropriate manner, even in times of conflict, to have empathy for others (social awareness) and to be able to guide and adjust to whatever environment we are in with others to positively impact the outcome (social regulation).

Many people are now aware of the subject of Emotional Intelligence, but few realize their own Emotional Quotient, and even fewer know how to manage their emotions in an effective way, on a consistent basis.  So, what do we do?

In late May HPISolutions will present a compelling webinar (No Charge) designed to unveil the misunderstandings about Emotional Intelligence and assist you in identifying your Emotional Quotient and understanding the pathway to improving your Emotional Intelligence into the future.  Seating will be limited for this important event, so please click here to join the waitlist.

Attendees in this webinar will receive a complimentary Emotional Quotient Assessment as our thanks for your participation.

Read more about Emotional Intelligence here

To read about our EQ assessment,  click here

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