How high is your Emotional Intelligence? Studies show that the level of your EI is a better predictor of success than your IQ. Luckily, unlike IQ, you can increase your emotional intelligence with some awareness and practice. Emotional Intelligence is made up of four competencies; self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. To begin increasing your EI, start by becoming more self-aware. Self-awareness is a very broad topic, so starting with your strengths is key. Focusing on what you do well, instead of your weaknesses, will give you the energy and enthusiasm to grow and develop your EI. The strengths based assessments that I utilized most often are included with books like; Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath, Strengths Based Leadership by Rath and Conchie, and Stand Out by Marcus Buckingham. Each of them gives you a detailed report of your core strengths and how to utilize them to maximize your true potential. Once you have increased your self-knowledge, it is just as important to put that knowledge into practice. Try to utilize your strengths every day. As you begin to incorporate them in all aspects of your life, your self-awareness will continue to grow and you’ll feel energized and more accomplished too!
