The first step toward tapping into the power of your emotions is finding the ability to tune in to yourself and observe your emotions and feelings.
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Emotional Intelligence Part 2: It All Starts from Within Transcript
Hello. My name is Mensah Philippe Houinsou, and this is Leading with Emotional Intelligence.
Many scientists believe that emotional intelligence, or EQ, is more important than cognitive or traditional intelligence, or IQ, in determining a leader’s success. For instance, in his 1996 book entitled Emotional Intelligence, author and psychologist Daniel Goleman suggested that EQ might actually be more important than IQ. According to scientists, IQ would be just the tip of the iceberg whereas EQ would be the bigger and hidden part of it. I guess this deserves reflection.
Why is EQ considered the hidden but yet most important part? It is because emotions lie within us, and they are data which carry useful information that, if harnessed properly, can improve tremendously how we make decisions and thus how well we succeed as leaders. From that perspective, the first step towards tapping into the power of your emotions is finding the ability to tune in to yourself and observe your emotions and feelings. Tuning in to your emotions will also help you understand how others’ emotions function so you can better relate to them and improve your interaction with them. Ultimately, what you achieve is the inner strength required to deal with difficult situations whatever their nature. But the problem is that many people are hardly truly aware of what they feel and do at a given moment, and that’s what makes it difficult for them to be able to get in synch with their emotions and feelings and therefore manage them properly.
What is that indispensable aptitude that is required of you in tuning in to your emotions and decoding the data they carry? Mindfulness is the key. Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment. Indeed, mindfulness can help you bring your attention to what happens within you every single moment of your life so you can begin to effectively tune in to your emotions.
Mindfulness can be achieved simply by bringing more awareness into everything you do. So from now on, you may try to be much more aware of your breath, more mindful observing, speaking, listening. One simple exercise that helps me personally develop mindfulness is meditation. Meditation is a mental exercise that requires that you focus your mind on one thing at a time, and it is the most powerful technique that can help you become much more mindful of everything you do. On www.peacerevolution.net you will find a wonderful self-development program that uses mindfulness meditation to bring the best out of people.
Becoming mindful of your emotions is the first step that can lead you to starting to use your EQ. Are you ready for that?