Emotional intelligence has become increasingly relevant for effective leadership and organizational success. In the words of Komosuke Matsushita, founder of Matsushita Electric:

“Business is now so complex and so difficult, the survival of firms so hazardous in an environment increasingly unpredictable, competitive and fraught with danger, that their continued existence depends on the day-to-day mobilization of every ounce of intelligence.”

Moods and emotions are integral parts of the biology of being human. These biological processes permeate every aspect of our lives and have a profound influence on our reality and behavioral effectiveness. Moods and emotions are at the heart of our perceptions, because different worlds of meaning are available based on what is happening with us emotionally; we take action and participate in the world based on our perceptions, in particular what “shows up” to us as the world of possibility and opportunity.

The power of moods and emotions is that they heavily influence the actions we do and don’t take

Our actions are not limited to our physical actions. Perceptions, thinking, listening, deciding, speaking and relating are all forms of our actions.

Mental agility and adaptive intelligence are required to act:

• The increasing complexity of demands that we face in the curriculum of daily living is not matched by our current mental capacity. The limitations of our current mental capacity can produce on-going difficulty in coping with the demands of life.
• Our difficulty in coping does not mean that we are mentally deficient or mentally ill.
• To live well, and cope satisfactorily with the mental demands of contemporary living, requires the development of a fundamentally different mindset, or a more complex system of mind, in order to match the complexities, the world “throws at us.”

The evolution of human consciousness

• Each order of consciousness is a qualitatively different way of understanding the world and can thought of as a mindset.
• A mindset can be characterized by a set of values and thinking processes. But it is much more. It has at its foundation—deep below the surface—a way of seeing the world, a way of seeing change and reality. It has formed deep within our consciousness and most of us are unaware of it.
• Consciousness is not only about thinking. It is the capacity to organize meaning, and from the perspective of Ontological Coaching this is much more than a linguistic process, it is also an emotional and somatic process.

Let’s learn about ourselves: Reflective activity

1. Emotions

How open are you to engaging in felt experiences that facilitate Emotional Learning?

What assessments and stories do you have to limit your engagement?

What emotion(s) do you experience about opening yourself up to different emotional experiences? What happens to your body when you consider this possibility?

What do you want to do about dissolving the limitations your assessments and stories place on you?

2. Self-awareness

Who am I really?

How did I become who I think I am? When did I decide to be what I am today?

Self-awareness depends on one’s ability to monitor one’s emotional state in order to use it and channel it properly.

3. Self-regulation

Understanding the nature of emotions and managing them not only helps to manage and direct them in the right direction, but also allows for greater critical thinking and informed thinking before acting. This ability to gain mastery over emotions and reactions are crucial to improving the quality of our lives.

4. Develop empathy

The ability to step into the reality of the interlocutor and then step out allows us to approach people based on their unique emotional functioning and reactions. Communication is often more effective, easier and personalized when we are able to feel what our interlocutor feels.

5. Communicate differently and practice assertiveness with Fares Chmait

This involves the art of saying what you need to say without attacking the dignity of others.

Emotional intelligence plays an important role in our lives, at all levels and in all circumstances. If you previously wondered how some people seemed to read your thoughts and know exactly what to do and when to do it, or what to say and when and how to say it, this indicates a high level of emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is a must-have skill to be a great leader, an outstanding negotiator, and an effective team builder who can mobilize people together around a project.

Developing social intuition and decoding verbal and nonverbal cues are also musts in today’s challenging business climate. It has been proven that people with high EQ tend to become more easily relinquished from difficult situations and are able to cope with and transform adversity.

Don’t miss opportunities. Let us help you react well using mental judo and high emotional flexibility, so you can strategically place your career puzzle pieces. Reach your full potential with our personalized EQ training and classes.