Emotional, cultural intelligence: Learn why it’s so important in today’s world
Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, use, understand and manage emotions in an effective and positive way …
Eighty percent of employees and 71% of employers say they value emotional intelligence
(EQ) over IQ. So says Levo Institute, a management consulting firm.
IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a measure of a person’s reasoning ability. It is supposed to gauge how well someone can use information and logic to answer questions or make predictions. IQ tests begin to assess this by measuring long short- and longterm memory.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, use, understand and manage emotions in an effective and positive way, according to PsychCentral.com.
It says, “A high EQ helps people to communicate better, reduce their anxiety and stress, defuse conflicts, improve relationships, empathize with others and effectively overcome life’s challenges. Additionally, our EQ affects the quality of our lives because it influences our behavior and relationships. EQ is synonymous with self-awareness.”
Talia Fox, CEO of KUSI Global, a transformational leadership-development firm, helps workers build effective professionalism with communication, diversity and leadership strategies. She has put together top tips for building cultural and emotional intelligence and how to hone what she calls your personal “people genius.”
First, here are tips for building your emotional world, triggers and choices:
1. Listen and observe others with the intent of learning rather than judging.
2. Make only one assumption: that there is a
lot that you do not know.
3. Reevaluate your principles, beliefs and values around certain topics, people or circumstances to determine whether they are genuinely open or habitually biased.
4. Find and connect with one or two people each week who are different from you.
And here are Fox’s pointers for developing your “personal genius”:
• Use an assertive style of communicating
• Respond instead of reacting to conflict
• Harness active listening skills
• Be motivated
• Practice ways to maintain a positive attitude
• Practice self-awareness
• Take criticism well
• Empathize with others
Many move through life making important decisions based on our current circumstances, Fox said.
“We may perceive them as being beyond our ability to change, thus limiting our options and solutions. But taking time to reflect and examine why we decide to do what we do allows us to lead lives determined by our conscious intentions rather than circumstances alone,” Fox said.
In the course of a career, developing EQ can influence our success, said Fox. Personal situations and intelligence are factors as well. But EQ can significantly affect your choices by creating options that otherwise may not have been imagined or considered.
Fox added it’s been proven time and time again that the world’s best leaders harness the power of cultural and emotional intelligence to encourage inclusive, equitable and profitable environments.
“By appreciating our commonalities but celebrating our differences as human beings, we can become more culturally competent and relationally attuned both in and out of the workplace,” she said. “The emerging new genius is the person who can master the heart and wherever else empathy, compassion and understanding reside.”