Emotional Intelligence among leaders and Politicians - Less Polarization

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Human is an emotional animal, and when dominated by emotions various things in life go wrong. To manage these emotions- the Emotional Intelligence comes into light. 

Emotional intelligence involves the ability to understand and manage emotions.  However, and emotional intelligent person understands personal emotions as well as the emotions of others very well. 

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Nobel-prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman has found that people would rather deal with a person that they trust and like rather than someone they do not, even if that means paying more for an inferior product.

Some strategies for teaching emotional intelligence include offering character education, modeling positive behaviors, encouraging people to think about how others are feeling, and finding ways to be more empathetic toward others.

Why is it necessary? 

Since the 1990s, emotional intelligence has been included in a semi-obscure concept found in academic journals to a popularly recognized term. 

However, the world has changed as emotional intelligence is a part of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs designed to teach emotional intelligence skills. 

At one point in time, IQ was viewed as the primary determinant of success. People with high IQs were assumed to be destined for a life of accomplishment and achievement and researchers debated whether intelligence was the product of genes or the environment.

However, some critics began to realize that not only was high intelligence no guarantee for success in life, it was also perhaps too narrow a concept to fully encompass the wide range of human abilities and knowledge.

Research has found that individuals with strong leadership potential also tend to be more emotionally intelligent, suggesting that a high EQ is an important quality for business leaders and managers to have agree that this type of intelligence plays an important role in success, and some have suggested that emotional intelligence might even be more important than IQ. 

In any case, research has suggested that emotional intelligence is linked to everything from decision-making to academic achievement.
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How is it measured?

Psychologist and best-selling author Daniel Goleman has suggested that there are five components critical to emotional intelligence.

1-      Self-Awareness

2-      Self-regulations

3-      Social Skills

4-      Empathy

5-      Motivation

Self-Awareness- Self-awareness, or the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, is a critical part of emotional intelligence. To be self-aware - monitor own emotions, recognize different emotional reactions, and then correctly identifying each particular emotion. Self-aware individuals also recognize the relationships between the things they feel and how they behave. These individuals are also capable of recognizing their own strengths and limitations, are open to new information and experiences, and learn from their interactions with others. That definitely leads to a better and clear path. 

Self-Regulation- This part is related to that how individual impacts on others.  Those who are skilled in self-regulation tend to be flexible and adapt well to change. They are also good at managing conflict and diffusing tense or difficult situations. Goleman also suggests that those with strong self-regulation skills are high in conscientiousness. They are thoughtful of how they influence others and take responsibility for their own actions.

Social Skills – Being able to interact well with others is another important aspect of emotional intelligence. True emotional understanding involves more than just understanding your own emotions and the feelings of others - you also need to be able to put this information to work in your daily interactions and communications.

Empathy – Being empathetic also allows people to understand the power dynamics that often influence social relationships, especially in workplace settings. Those competent in this area are able to sense who possess power in different relationships, understand how these forces influence feelings and behaviors, and accurately interpret different situations that hinge on such power dynamics. This involves more than just being able to recognize the emotional states of others - it also involves your responses to people based on this information.

Motivation- People who are emotionally intelligent are motivated by things beyond mere external rewards like fame, money, recognition, and acclaim. Instead, they have a passion to fulfill their own inner needs and goals. Those who are competent in this area tend to be action-oriented. They set goals, have a high need for achievement, and are always looking for ways to do better.

Emotional Intelligence among leaders and Politicians
Emotional Intelligence can be learned, and build as a part of learning. The leaders will be more open to diversity and different perspective due to empathy. Empathy is a huge part of emotional intelligence. Perhaps, more research is to be done, yet this can be concluded that emotional intelligence among leaders will promote more love, and empathy and less polarization.