Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize your emotions and understand what they’re telling you. Realization of how your emotions affect people around you. This also involves your perception. EI allows one to manage relationships more effectively. Apart from the over emphasis on IQ in children, EQ and its management in children is equally important. Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist has developed a framework of five elements that define emotional intelligence:
1. Self-Awareness – high emotional intelligence in children usually reflect high self-awareness. These children think a lot about themselves. They understand their emotions. They are confident. They trust their intuition and don’t let their emotions get out of control. They are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Many people believe that this self-awareness is the most important part of emotional intelligence.
2. Self-Regulation – This is the ability to control emotions. Children who self-regulate typically don’t allow themselves to become too angry or jealous. They take careful decisions.
3. Motivation — Children with a high degree of emotional intelligence are usually intrinsically motivated. They’re highly productive, love challenges, and are very effective in whatever they do.
4. Empathy — This is perhaps the important element of emotional intelligence. Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand the human wants, needs, and viewpoints of those around you. Empathetic people are good at recognizing the feelings of others. As a result, these people are usually excellent at managing relationships, listening, and relating to others.
5. Social Skills – EI people can manage disputes, are excellent communicators, and are masters at building and maintaining relationships. It’s usually easy to talk to and like people with good social skills. Those with strong social skills are typically team players. Rather than focus on their own success first, they help others develop and shine. Emotional intelligence can be a key to success in your life