3.14 Daniel Goleman: Emotional Intelligence

“There is perhaps no psychological skill more fundamental than resisting impulse.” - Daniel Goleman Do you know what might be a greater predictor of success than talent or intelligence? Emotional Intelligence - your ability to recognize and manage your emotions or the emotions of others. Think about it: How many times have you done or said something that you regretted later, or how many times have you regretted not doing or saying something? Those could be signs of a lack of emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman wrote one of the most read books on emotional intelligence. He says we all have two minds: Our thinking mind and our feeling or emotional mind, and knowing when and how to use both are two of the keys to emotional intelligence. Goleman says there are four dimensions of emotional intelligence:

1 -Self-awareness: How well you recognize and understand your emotions.

2 - Self-Management: How well you manage your emotions.

3 - Social Awareness: How well you can recognize and understand the emotions of others.

4 - Social Management: How well you can manage the emotions of others, and how well you can help them manage their own emotions.

With strong emotional intelligence, you can recognize what motivates, de-motivates, inspires, and triggers yourself and others. Emotional intelligence is a tool you can use to get things done or prevent bad things from happening.

Emotional intelligence is knowing when to talk, when to act, when to be quiet, and when to be still. It is doing what you know you need to do no matter how you feel.

Question of the Day: Look at the four dimensions of emotional intelligence. Which areas are strengths for you, and which areas do you need to grow in?