Emotional Intelligence Skills You Need to Develop

Members of my career mentoring site know that I’m a big fan of Daniel Goleman and his ideas on emotional intelligence. A couple of months ago, I came across a brief list of competencies – divided into four major categories — that he considers the most important for leaders and aspiring leaders.

I think they are worth sharing here…

Self-Awareness

• Realistic Self-Confidence: You understand your own strengths and limitations. You operate from competence and know when to rely on someone else on the team.
• Emotional Insight: You understand your feelings. For example, being aware of what makes you angry, can help you manage your anger.

Self-Management

• Resilience: You stay calm under pressure and recover quickly from upsets. You don’t brood or panic. In a crisis, people look to you for reassurance.
• Emotional Balance: You keep any distressful feelings in check – instead of blowing up at people, — divided — you work with them to solve problems.
• Self-Motivation: You keep moving toward your goals even in the face of setbacks.

Empathy

• Cognitive and Emotional: You understand others’ perspectives and are able to communicate in ways that your colleagues can comprehend. You welcome questions.
• Listening Skills: You pay full attention to the other person and take the time to understand what he or she is saying.

Relationship Skills

• Compelling Communication: You present your points in a persuasive, clear manner that sets clear expectations and motivates people to do what you want them to do.
• Team Playing: People feel relaxed working with you. They are comfortable and laugh easily.

I suggest you take a good look at this list, and then assess yourself on each of the nine sub categories listed. I’m sure you’re strong in some, and not so strong in others. Figure out what you can do to leverage your strengths and correct for your weaknesses.

Your career mentor,

Bud

PS: I write this blog to help people create the life and career success they want and deserve. Now I’m going one step further. I’ve created a membership site in which I’ve pulled together my best thoughts on success. And, as a reader of this blog, you can become a member for free. Just go to www.BudBilanich.com/join to claim your free membership. You’ll be joining a vibrant and growing community of success minded professionals. I hope to see you there.