What Exactly is EQ, Anyway?

It's a trendy buzzword that's made its way around the Internet fairly quickly this year. It's also an incredibly important skill to have, in life as well as work. So what is EQ or Emotional Intelligence, and why am I so excited about the work we are all doing in this field?

Glad you asked.

Let’s start at the beginning, with a simple definition: Emotional Intelligence is the ability to be aware of your own emotions and the emotions of others, in the moment, and to use that awareness to manage your own emotions and the emotions in your relationships. Put simply, are you self-aware, are you aware of what is going on around you, and do you have the skills that are necessary to create and nurture healthy relationships? 

It doesn’t sound all that hard to do— but actually it is.  For a long time the focus of education and business success has been almost 100% about IQ, or how intelligent you were.  What we know now, backed by a lot of good research, is that IQ may get you the job you want but it is your emotional intelligence skills— or your “EQ”— that will make you successful in that job. 

Now here is the best part about that: EQ can be changed.  Unlike IQ, EQ is about behaviors— and behaviors can change.  In the vast majority of coaching I have done, whether individual or as part of a 360 Leadership Assessment, the “area of growth” is almost always based in emotional intelligence skills.

So, the soft stuff really is the hard stuff.

In these blog posts I will be touching on different topics and articles that focus on EQ.  As a past psychotherapist and now coach I truly love and believe in this work, and I will be sharing information and tools that have worked for me to really help someone become “EQ-smart!”

And, I would love to hear from you as well. Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment here, or connecting on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.