In today’s competitive workforce many companies are looking at several aspects of a person’s skill set to assess their fit for the role they are applying for or the promotion they are aiming towards. Gone are the days of HR simply looking at what school you attended and where you’ve volunteered. Companies have realized over time that finding the right fit within their organization goes way beyond what they have learned or the experience they have acquired.
What is the difference between IQ and EQ?
Unlike your IQ, which measures your ability to process information and make rational conclusions, your emotional intelligence (EQ) refers to your capacity to process your emotions and the emotions of other people. Your EQ allows you to make reasonable conclusions. And determines your ability to manage, and express your own feelings, as well as recognize, understand, and influence the feelings of people around you.
- IQ is the intellectual ability to manage ideas, knowledge and thoughts.
- EQ is the ability to manage relationships with other people.
How can having a higher EQ help you professionally?
As mentioned above, having a higher EQ allows you to assess and process information in highly stressful situations better than those who have low EQ. Generally speaking people with higher EQ’s possess an incredible combination of skills that are required in order to be in higher management positions.
Whether you are entering the workforce, looking to make a career pivot or even toying with the idea of starting your own business, having an understanding of how having higher EQ can work for you will certainly allow you to stand out and get noticed.
Leadership is a highly emotional role, it requires training, evaluating, reporting, and meeting targets. Managing a team means overseeing all the efforts of the individuals involved. This requires good time management, and a whole new skill set as far as emotional intelligence goes. A great leader must be in control of their emotions even when others are not.
In my practice, Athanasios Gomatos Life Coach, I guide clients by asking key questions that will allow me to work with my client towards their career or business objectives based on where they are at in terms of EQ and where they need to be to reach their targets.
Here are the top 5 Qualities of people with Higher EQ
1- Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the foundation of EQ upon which all of the other components are built on. Without first being self-aware it makes it nearly impossible to be subjective when dealing with others.
Self-Awareness is based on the premise that we are not our thoughts, we are simply the observer. Self-awareness allows us to see things from the perspective of others, practice self-control, work way more creatively and productively, and experience pride in our work as well as general self-esteem
I work with my clients to identify and develop one’s self awareness. This is a key factor and foundation blocks for success in many aspects of one’s life.
2- Social Awareness
Social awareness helps you determine what other people are feeling, noticing that emotion yourself, and then aiming to improve their situation.
People with strong social awareness can put themselves in other people’s shoes to help them feel understood and heard. A large part of developing social awareness is having enough life experience to be able to relate to a wide variety of situations and emotions, even if it’s just a small amount.
As you can see, this quality is incredibly important for those aiming at a management position or higher. Effective leaders are easily able to understand what others are feeling and lead them through the situation with empathy and understanding.
3- Curiosity
Often called “dreamers” or “idealists” by those who are less in touch with their EQ, curiosity, wonder and possibility is a major driving force behind those with higher EQ’s. This is great in your career development as curiosity goes hand in hand with problem solving and “thinking outside the box”
People with higher EQ’s usually are called “problem-solvers” as their different views and understanding of how things work allow them to process traditionally perceived problems as opportunities to try something new.
4- Motivation
Generally speaking, people with high EQ are often called “self-starters”. Their motivation is palpable and this quality makes them great leaders. The ability to see problems as opportunities and combined with self-awareness and curiosity, motivation is a natural part of their personality and translates well to others around them.
As an employee, those with a higher EQ, will typically be the ones encouraging others and helping the team to meet deadlines. Motivation is a part of them and therefore their is an unlimited supply in all aspects of their life. Even when a challenge is thrown at them, people with higher EQ’s will see this as a temporary setback and opportunity for growth as opposed to a personal attack.
5- Social Skills
Both personally and professionally, people with strong social skills can understand other people and use this knowledge to encourage people to work toward a common goal. This also makes you more approachable and easily able to adapt and navigate through various social settings, including corporate settings.
Social skills and adaptability go hand in hand and not unnoticed in the workplace. Leaders need to be able to interact with many people in many settings while maintaining composure and integrity. As having a higher EQ means you are able to perceive others and their situations in a different way, this makes for great networking and relationship building and that is always an asset for any company.