Emotional Intelligence (EI) is how somebody manages their personality to be both personally and interpersonally effective. Emotional Intelligence is not soft or difficult to define; EI is a psychobiological process that people experience, and it can be measured and developed.
Based on evidence we created a defining model of Emotional Intelligence that provides an organising framework for understanding effective human behaviour. EI therefore directly relates to an individual’s effectiveness and performance at work.
Why is EI critical in the world of work?
Emotional intelligence unlocks potential | Emotional intelligence for business
Our Emotional Intelligence Profile provides individuals with a developmental route map to unlock potential and translate it into effective performance. By identifying the underlying attitudes that underpin an individual’s thinking and feeling, we are able to help people make sustainable behavioural change.
Emotional Intelligence is not an optional extra for leaders
Over the last two decades, researchers have found EI to be a critical factor in distinguishing high performers and an important determinant of effective leadership and life success.
Our virtual Leading with Emotional Intelligence programme equips leaders with skills to help teams thrive.
We can go about our working lives ignoring our emotions, unaware of how we really are or what is driving our behaviour. Or, by choosing to develop our EI, we can identify patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that are helpful and contribute to successful performance.
Our Leadership Development programs deliver outstanding results, with studies showing an 18% improvement in Emotional Intelligence within just 3 months.
What is emotional intelligence about?
EI is about attitude
Neurological evidence shows that thoughts and feelings do not occur randomly. They are responses to a stimulus which has been perceived, interpreted, and filtered through one’s underlying attitudes. It is a person’s attitude that largely influences their feelings, thoughts, and in turn behaviours. Consequently, EI is fundamentally influenced by the attitudes you hold toward yourself and others
EI is about relationships
Emotions serve an important social and adaptive function. They increase our awareness of others, providing information on the perspective of others and an understanding of why others behave the way they do. Therefore, Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity to adapt our behaviour within the social context.
EI is about awareness
Emotional Intelligence involves noticing, labelling, and interpreting our emotions and the emotions of others. Emotional Intelligence involves incorporating our feelings and intuition into our thinking; for example, approaching a difficult conversation at work.
EI is about practice
Like any skill, EI can be developed and it takes practice. Noticing and managing our attitudes, emotions and behaviour in a changing social context is a continual process. EI is reflected by what a person does now. EI is therefore described as a verb; it is about being emotionally intelligent.
EI is about self-management
EI is concerned with how people manage and get the best out of themselves and their innate resources. For example, deploying your full intellectual potential under pressure requires effective emotion regulation. In practical terms, EI can start with identifying and dismantling limiting beliefs or restrictive habits and replacing them with enhancing ones.
