The Vital Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Times of Crisis
Now, more than ever, understanding how your brain and body respond to stress is vital for facing the chaos we find ourselves in
The word “Emotional Intelligence” has been a bit of a buzzword in the world of business ever since Daniel Goleman’s book of the same title burst onto shelves in 1995.
More often than not, it’s a skill taught to managers by well-meaning coaches with the promise of making them more successful, likeable, and perhaps boosting sales and reducing their staff turnover. But is Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, more than just a scientific-sounding method of “winning friends and influencing people”? And how can understanding it help us in times of crisis?
EQ can be defined as “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically” (thanks, Oxford Dictionary). To break it down more concretely, EQ relates to your self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills (Akers & Porter, 2018). It’s understanding how your brain and body works so that you can take greater control of your life.
So what’s so important about EQ? According to heaps of studies, it predicts life success far more accurately than traditional ‘intelligence’ — some research even…
