Emotional intelligence has gained in importance as a managerial skill required in business. Indeed, experts agree that this skill will become even more essential for companies by the end of the decade.

Emotions play a key role in our behaviour, but they’re also linked to our thinking and decision making. That’s why emotional intelligence has become an indispensable asset in the workplace.

Goleman’s 5 components of EQ

Daniel Goleman is an American psychologist who popularized positive psychology. The 5 components he attributed to emotional intelligence are as follows:

Self-awareness means recognizing your emotions and knowing how to listen to, name and understand them. Self-awareness is also about being connected to your feelings and intuitions.

Self-regulation is the ability to control your reactions to emotions and impulses and make considered choices. It’s also the ability to adapt to change and bounce back from failure.

Motivation means cultivating your desires and drives. It also means taking on new challenges and developing enthusiasm.

Empathy is about looking at the other person, listening to them with compassion and knowing how to recognize emotions, even if the signals are weak. It’s also about welcoming these emotions and accepting them. Finally, it’s about understanding the other person’s needs and views without judging them.

Social skills centres around developing leadership skills and building strong and trust-based relationships. Dialogue and communication are very important, as is supporting others in their development.

Emotional intelligence at work

Today, many employers favour candidates with strong emotional intelligence over someone with stellar skills. And they’re right to do so.

In addition to being a competitive advantage, an employee with above-average emotional intelligence may perform better at work than someone with a high IQ but lower emotional intelligence.

Moreover, in a company, a good leader must have enough emotional intelligence to be and act like a human being who listens to their team. Such a person will also be able to adapt more easily to changes and build healthy and trust-based working relationships.

In short, a manager’s emotional intelligence clearly benefits the working environment.