Emotional Intelligence Overview and Benefits

You’ve most likely heard of emotional intelligence. But do you really know what it is? Read this emotional intelligence overview to learn the basics. Even if you think you’re pretty sure, a refresher doesn’t hurt.

In this article:

What is Emotional Intelligence
5 Elements of Emotional Intelligence
Who Emotional Intelligence is for
Benefits of Emotional Intelligence

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Put simple, emotional intelligence (EQ) is:

emotional awareness
emotional control
emotional expression

5 Elements of Emotional Intelligence

self-awareness

awareness of ones own emotions

self-regulation

controlling emotions and responses

internal motivation

inner drive towards goals and learning

empathy

identifying/understand emotions in others

social skills

building/managing relationships with others

Who Emotional Intelligence is for

Literally, everyone.

EQ is the main determinate of success. Put another way, you need EQ in order to succeed in any area of life.

Emotional intelligence is for you if you:

are a human being
are conscious
have emotions

Emotional intelligence is for you if you feel:

like you want to be your best self
that you want to live your best life
stuck or that your just going around in circles
like you want to find meaning
that you want to feel better

Emotional intelligence is for you if you want to:

succeed in a goal
make money, get a promotion or excel your career
be a better leader
have more confidence and feel more connected to others
better relationships
better health
better overall well-being

Benefits of Emotional Intelligence?

The benefits of emotional intelligence will vary in accordance with each person and their individual goals. And since emotional intelligence encompasses every aspect of our lives it is impossible to know all of the many benefits that come with it. While we will never know all of the benefit, those who work on increasing their EQ will experience: