Emotional Intelligence: A Definition

We are all familiar with the term intelligence quotient, or IQ, but few managers in today's workplaces understand much about Emotional Intelligence — what is now being called "EQ." Managers know a great deal about the products or services that their organizations deliver to customers, and they are becoming more knowledgeable about the technology that puts their organizations into the marketplace of ideas. When it comes to issues involving individuals or groups, however, many tend to fall short. Emotions and social skills don't appear to be as important to success in our jobs as facts and figures and processes.

Just what is Emotional Intelligence anyway? Often called EQ (Emotional-Intelligence quotient), Emotional Intelligence refers to the array of personal-management and social skills that allows one to succeed in the workplace and life in general. EQ encompasses intuition, character, integrity, and motivation. It also includes good communication and relationship skills.

But emotions in the workplace? Surely we want to keep emotions out of the organization! The business world, after all, moves on facts and figures — or so we think. But new evidence makes a pretty compelling case that poor emotional and social skills derail more careers than lack of technical expertise or even general intelligence — what we think of as IQ.

Interestingly, very little research has been done on the science of emotions in the past. In the last decade or so, the scientific and even business literature has been filled with new evidence explaining the neurophysiology and biochemistry of emotions and their roles in our professional and personal lives. Case studies of leaders and other successful people have added additional evidence to support the vital role of emotions in decision-making, leadership, and success in life. New research on the subject will teach us even more.

Think about your own experiences for a moment. Have you ever had a very strong "gut reaction" to a certain person or situation? Have you ever walked into a room and sensed that something was wrong, or taken a chance on something you just knew was the right thing, even though the "facts" said otherwise? Perhaps you weren't able to explain exactly why you reacted the way you did, but the sensation was powerful. This was the voice of your intuition — the gut feeling you had stemming from past emotional experiences stored in your brain. This "knowing" is inside us all, but many of us have been trained to ignore it in favor of rationality and logic.