Emotional Intelligence defined: The ability to know one’s emotional state, manage it, read the emotion in others, and use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions.

The author of the article reference below is an international authority in personality profiling and psychometric testing. The article, while being on the scholarly side, is very accurate, realistic, and clear about the amount of effort it takes to improve Emotional Intelligence (EI), which he calls the Emotional Quotient (EQ). Our experience using EI over the past several years validates this. We know that the effective use of EI is a must for business leaders.

The author references several studies and one in particular has shown that managers are “a major cause of employee disengagement and stress.” The author proposes that coaching managers in EI won’t solve those problems directly, but will play a role in alleviating the symptoms. He references a study by the American Institute of Stress which reports that “stress is the main cause underlying 40% of workplace turnovers and 80% of work-related injuries.” We are aware of plenty of evidence that shows that the effects of stress on the body and mind are real.

Read the full article here:

Source: Emotional Intelligence: Can It Be Taught? TD Magazine