October is Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month – a powerful reminder that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the key to success in both your professional and personal life. People with high levels of EQ – the ability to recognise and manage your own emotions and those of others – are able to build meaningful relationships, manage stress, resolve conflict and maximise their performance. The great news is that your EQ (unlike your IQ) isn’t fixed and can be developed over time. Below are 10 steps to help you live your life in a more emotionally intelligent way:
1. Understand what really makes you tick
Self-knowledge is often described as the cornerstone of EQ. It’s about recognising, understanding and managing your own emotions. A powerful way to do this is to think about how you behave on a good and a bad day. This should help you understand your emotional triggers and how they impact others.
2. Boost your self-confidence
A surprising number of people suffer from imposter syndrome – putting down their success to luck or being in the right place at the right time. Banish these feelings by valuing who you are and what you bring to the table.
3. Manage your emotions
The ability to control your feelings is key to boosting your EQ levels. With the increasing demands of modern life, it can sometimes be tricky to appear cool calm and collected at all times. However, whenever possible try to keep your feelings in check by harnessing your self-control, so that you can respond rather than react to other people.
4. Back Yourself
Don’t be tempted to default to others. Have the courage of your convictions and stand your ground. By drawing on your self-reliance in this way, you are far more likely to boost your EQ levels.
5. Be true to yourself
Be genuine and authentic in your interactions with others. By presenting the real you, you will build trust and credibility – the foundations of a strong relationship.
6. Be open and honest
Straightforwardness is the ability to communicate honestly and clearly and is critical in building trust. It’s about having the confidence to assert yourself and put across your point of view whilst respecting the fact that others may hold different opinions.
7. Make a connection
When you meet someone for the first time, try to find common ground. Remember everyone brings something of value to the table. Treat everyone you meet as an equal and expect to be treated on an equal footing in return.
8. Put yourself in other people’s shoes
Empathy lies at the heart of EQ. Not to be confused with sympathy, empathy is about understanding the other person’s point of view. This means listening with curiosity and asking clever questions so you can truly understand the other person’s motivations.
9. Have a glass half full attitude
Successful people focus on the positives in life and look for new opportunities. Draw on your resilience to overcome any obstacles in your path. Remember, your mood is contagious – so try not to hold a grudge – instead take the learnings from any setbacks and move on.
10. Take change in your stride
In today’s rapidly changing world, adaptability is crucial if you want to stand out from the competition. Try to keep up to date with all the latest developments and view change as exciting not scary.
By putting these steps into practice on a daily basis, you will boost your emotional intelligence levels and reap the rewards of increased confidence and greater success in both your personal and professional life.
