Psychology
Emotional Intelligence: 5 Ways Developing Your EQ Can Help You Succeed in Your Career
Successful people usually have a knack for tweaking reality to suit their evolving needs. If they want to find more work/life balance, they might switch to working remotely and using virtual offices online and coworking spaces. If they want to strike a new business deal or expand their career opportunities, they’re willing to put the work into developing a strong network of professional connections.
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Successful people are also highly likely to have well-developed emotional intelligence. Crucially, they know that, regardless of where you’re starting out, EQ is a skill that can be honed.
Are you curious about the benefits of fine tuning your EQ like the highest earners do? Here are five ways improving your emotional intelligence can help you succeed in your career:
More Empathy
Empathy is key at work, enabling you to consider the feelings, thoughts, worries and experiences of others so that you can respond appropriately and actively anticipate their needs. This empathy also helps you negotiate more skillfully, create stronger teams, and delegate tasks based on the experience and strengths of each individual. You’ll be able to empathize on a deeper level with customers and clients, understanding the finer details of their needs, and boosting your problem-solving and sales abilities as a result.
Understanding Your Weaknesses
Recent research found that most business leaders know their strengths in great detail. They believe they also know their weaknesses, but when this was tested, it turned out most of them were unaware of the most problematic chinks in their armor.
A high degree of emotional intelligence hedges against this common problem, helping you identify, make peace with, and work on your weaknesses. High EQ will also help you recognize and leverage your strengths, so it can deliver growth all around.
No Regrets Over Losing Control
Losing control over your emotions is never a good idea in general, but especially not at work. Nearly 10% of the American population struggles with poorly controlled anger, and in the workplace, that kind of emotional mismanagement can lead to hurt feelings, disciplinary action, reputation damage, and more.
With a higher EQ, you gain better control over your emotional response to people and situations, ultimately helping you avoid the regretful feelings that follow a clash. In an increasingly stressful economy, this skill is not just important – it’s central to your success.
Identifying & Managing True Career Motivation
The more emotionally intelligent you are, the more you understand the real emotions behind your deepest career goals and what it’s going to take to achieve them. The most popular career goals for Americans in 2023 are getting a job and earning more money. Emotionally intelligent individuals will dig deeper and understand themselves better, giving them clear insight into which actions will deliver a better chance of getting hired or earning more money.
Being Able to Manage Stress & Emotional Health
Two-thirds of adults in America say they feel stressed about the future of the country, and around a third find stress to be overwhelming most days. Stress and other emotional health problems are huge factors when it comes to career development. A high EQ helps you better manage and reduce stress in your career, freeing you to feel happier at work. It also sets the groundwork for cultivating a daily work routine that is satisfying, motivating, and guided by a sense of purpose.
As you move toward a better career and build your education, experience, and other essential skills, be sure to incorporate EQ development into that plan. Doing so should help you unlock all the rewards above and more.
