Emotional Intelligence is our social and emotional skills that deal with the way we see and understand each other, how we develop relationships, deal with stress, and solve problems. Dr. Reuven Bar-On, an American-born Israeli psychologist, set out to understand why some people have a greater emotional well-being? Combined with this thought, he wondered why some individuals with high intellectual smarts failed in life. By 1985, Bar-On thought he had found the answer, a person’s Emotional Quotient (EQ) – similar to a person’s Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The EQ evolved into the EQ-i (emotional quotient inventory). Since the early 90’s, Bar-On and MHS, Inc., have been leading the way in emotional intelligence research and assessments.
While EI is not the single indicator of a person’s success, it has been proven to aid individuals in being more effective both from a personal perspective as well as from a leadership perspective. The good news is that everyone can improve their emotional intelligence. On the contrary, IQ is said to be fixed by late teens. From a leadership perspective, if you scare off employees with your abrasiveness, lack of stress management, and have trouble articulating how you are feeling, your team members will not be around long enough to find out how smart you are. Research shows having high levels of EI can aid leaders and individuals in being more successful in life.
EQ-i Assessments