3 Ways to Increase Your Emotional Intelligence for Business Success

If you want to be competitive in today’s global economy, you must raise your emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence consists of the ability to recognize, use, understand and manage our emotions in a way that helps develop healthy relationships in both our professional and personal lives. Succinctly, Emotional Intelligence influences the way we react to stress and the way we interact with others.

Emotional intelligence is composed of four main attributes:

1. Self-awareness – the ability to recognize one’s own emotions and how they influence one’s behaviors and thoughts.

2. Self-management – the ability to control impulsive feelings and behaviors so that you can manage your emotions in an effective and healthy manner.

3. Social awareness – the ability to understand the emotions, needs and concerns of others.

4. Relationship management – the ability to develop and sustain healthy relationships.

Following are 3 key ways to increase your emotional intelligence:

1. Know what your stressors are and then learn ways to reduce them; perhaps by practicing yoga, meditation, reading self-help literature.

2. Know Thyself – increased self-awareness is at the core of understanding others. Knowing yourself increases your chances of knowing and understanding your emotions – especially when stressed. Understanding your emotions increases your chances of controlling them – rather than having your emotions control you.

3. Develop effective communication skills. The ability to communicate effectively is at the heart of developing and maintaining healthy relationships, both in our personal and professional lives. Without these skills, it is almost impossible to relate to others.

Increasing one’s Emotional Intelligence is a lifelong process. Being able to develop healthy relationships is necessary for success in business and life.