Components of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence helps us to create and nurture healthy bonds in an organization and it ensures both personal as well as organizational success. By emotional intelligence we mean the proficiency of an individual to identify his own emotions as well as emotions of other people, to differentiate between various emotional states and to categorize them properly, and to use the emotive data to manage thinking and performance.

High emotional intelligence means that you can identify your own emotional condition and you can connect well with the emotional conditions of other individuals and deal with those individuals in a manner that brings them closer to you.

Emotional intelligence consists of the following components/elements:

1. Self-awareness: Self-awareness implies an in-depth study of an individual’s emotions, positives/assets, limitations, needs and ambitions. Self-awareness can be developed by investing time identifying the domains of improvement and making an honest attempt to build up that attribute of yours.

   Self-awareness can be built by true reflection of yours on daily basis. This means that quality time has to be spend on exposing your mind to innate thoughts. Individuals with high level of self-awareness would basically be candid, not only to themselves but also to other individuals. They know the impact of their feelings on themselves as well as on other individuals, and on the functioning of the organization.

   Self-aware people are surely self-confident. They have a thorough understanding and knowledge of their strengths. They will look for support only when required. They will always play safe. They will only take projects which they can complete efficiently within time deadlines. They know their vision very clearly and they will not accept projects which are a hindrance to their values or personal and organizational vision.

2. Self-regulation: Self-regulation is like a continuous internal discussion. It ensures that we are no longer bound to our feelings. People who are self-regulated know how to deal with their feelings in an effective way. These people are quiet logical and they ensure that an environment of justice and reliance prevails in the organization. Such an environment ensures less of internal conflicts and greater productivity.

   Self-regulation is nothing but governing the disturbing drives and feelings. It is a fundamental to our proficiency to manage dynamism in the environment faced by us. It is also about feeling optimistic and venting optimism to others. Self-regulation provides you an option to either be in control of your emotions or let your emotions be in control of you. Self-regulation mainly includes self-discipline and control, credibility, diligence, flexibility and bringing about revolution.

3. Motivation: An urge to work and learn for inner motives other than monetary and prestige reasons is what inner motivation is. Motivation is a drive to accomplish things which are out of your own expectancies as well as others expectancies.

   Motivated people are passionate people. They are inclined towards learning more, are proud of their remarkable achievement, and look out for innovative tasks. They are keen in discovering new methodologies of performing. They are quite inquisitive about the reasons why tasks are performed in a particular manner and not the other. Highly motivated people are very optimistic, even when they don’t meet the organizational benchmarks set upon them.

4. Empathy: Empathy means selflessly taking into account the feelings of workforce during rational decision-making. It is the proficiency to understand the emotional state of mind of others and to deal with them accordingly.

   Empathetic leaders have knowhow of developing and maintaining the talent. Empathy is the building block of Emotional Intelligence. “Step into the shoes of others” is what is emphasized when you want to perceive things from other’s viewpoint. Empathetic people excel in sustaining long term relationships, effective listening as well as connecting to others. Due to dynamism and increasing globalization, empathetic leaders are more in demand.

5. Social Skills: People with great social skills excels in change management and conflict resolution. They are excellent communicators. They have huge contacts and a high capability to build connections. They are proficient in team management. They possess a trait of eloquence, i.e., they are effective persuaders.

   Social skills in short means applying empathy and balancing the wants and requirements of others with your own. Social skills help in getting work done from others, and it is very important for the leaders to possess this trait so as to put their emotional intelligence to operate.