Emotional intelligence: meaning, skills and how to manage emotions

Emotional intelligence is based on the detection, interpretation and management of one’s own and others’ emotions as leadership skills.

To better understand the scope of this ability, we have prepared an article in which we make explanatory stops in points as relevant as the definition of what emotional intelligence is, the key skills related to it and the best ways to manage emotions.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is a human ability to correctly identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as to manage those of the people around us. This capacity requires solid interpersonal skills, as well as it is intertwined with other types of intelligence such as crystallized intelligence.

It is also known as Emotional Quotient or EQ and, although its management is beneficial for everyone, its main advantage lies in the fact that in leadership positions knowing how to bring out the best in oneself is a clear endorsement of the ability to manage the emotional intelligence of others.

5 emotional intelligence skills

As we have already mentioned a moment ago, interpersonal skills are part of the emotional intelligence abilities that are also completed with these other 5 that we detail below.

Self-awareness

Being aware of yourself allows you to know your strengths, weaknesses, limitations, emotions and motivations, and if you are able to manage all of them, the probability of handling them well and knowing how to motivate others is quite high.

Likewise, recognizing your own weaknesses and weak points helps you to appear human to others, to transmit confidence to them and to provide your team with an ecosystem where transparency leads naturally.

Self-management

This skill refers to the ability to manage your emotions, behaviors and impulses. To do this you must be very clear about what they are, so that projecting and practicing them with others is easy.

Among the most common self-management tactics we find:

• Stop for a moment and think before giving an answer.
• Stop the activity, put space in between and resume after a pause to reflect globally.
• Acknowledge your emotions.

Motivation

Motivation involves being able to inspire yourself and from there others.

A self-motivated leader relegates economic objectives to the background where the corporate milestones to be achieved are in pole position.

In addition, this type of leader is a goal-setter, proactive, undaunted by challenges and responds positively to any setback or incident.

The leader who is charged with motivation naturally injects confidence into the team, which he or she constantly empowers.

Empathy

Empathy, or in other words, being able to understand the emotions and feelings associated with other people’s experiences, is a key skill that, at first glance, seems simple but is not at all.

In empathy there is a large dose of active listening, solidarity and humanity.

People who listen are capable of generating greater commitment and trust in those in their charge or in front of them. Finally, a team that feels valued is more than likely to be more committed and productive.

Social skills

A professional who knows how to detect situations of displeasure or conflict is someone who will have the tools to not only manage the situation successfully, but also to resolve it before it escalates.

Collaboration, communication and transparency are the pillars that govern social relationships.

How to manage emotional intelligence?

Managing emotional intelligence requires skills and experience. However, there are a series of tricks that can help you to practice it successfully.

• Stress management. This aspect is important, since mastering your thoughts and being able to control yourself without being dominated by neither technostress or stress, helps you not to lose control of situations and to make the most appropriate decisions at all times, avoiding the impulses that can cause so many problems.
• Control of basic feelings. At this point we refer mainly to anger, sadness, fear and joy. All of them are unbalancing factors and triggers of problems that affect emotional intelligence. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you to focus your mind and change those negative feelings into positive, productive and effective actions.
• Developing social awareness. To develop social awareness you must be able to detect and interpret the nonverbal cues around you, as well as master the interpretation of the overall social situation. Mastering the art of non-verbal cues also involves understanding the power dynamics at any given moment.
• Acceptance of criticism, responsibility and assumption of mistakes. Before you can focus on managing the emotional intelligence of others, you must know how to accept criticism, mistakes or responsibility for your actions. Only then will you be able to admit the same situations in people around you or in your charge.
• Problem solving. But having as a basis and as an argument the knowledge of why things are done at all times.
• Active listening without judgment. Listening to yourself and others must be free of judgments that disturb or contaminate the information you perceive. This goes deeply into achieving good interpersonal communication and strengthening communication skills.  

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