Emotional intelligence is a word that is quite famous at the moment but what does it mean? It refers to your capability to handle your own emotions and the emotions of others around you. Your sort of emotional intelligence will affect on many, if not all, aspects of your routine life. It impacts the way you interact to others around you, the kinds of relationships you have and finally the victory you’ve in the workplace. The conclusion is – good leaders are emotionally intelligent.

Emotional intelligence & Your Health

Your Physical and Mental Health – If you are emotionally intelligent sufficient to handle your stress then you decrease your chances of establishing several serious health problems involving heart disease, immune deficiencies and more. Comprehending and handling your emotions also affects your mental health. Managing stress decreases the likelihood of depression.

Your Personal and Professional Relationships – Emotional intelligence assists you to comprehend your own feeling and the feeling of those around you hence you respond to persons in a more sensitive, suitable way. This affects not just your personal relationships but also relationships at work as you become better capable to handle the socially complex nature of any office.

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

So how emotional intelligence is linked to leadership? The idea of Emotional Intelligence isn’t a new one. It became a famous notion after Daniel Goleman issued his globally best-selling book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ in the year of 1995. He discussed those non-cognitive qualities likes emotional intelligence can matter just as much as I.Q. when it comes to leadership and victory in the workplace.

Goleman discovered that leadership qualities such as intelligence, vision, commitment and determination are all required for victory, but they aren’t in themselves enough. To be a good leader he considered you also required much emotional intelligence.

In accordance to Goleman, the 5 key elements of emotional intelligence are:

• Self-awareness

This refers to your capability to recognize and comprehend your own emotions, strengths and weaknesses and the affect they have on others. Persons with much self awareness are honest with themselves and others. They do not have unrealistic hopes or react in extremes such as largely critical or overly emotional commentary. It is convenient to recognize this quality during a job interview too. Applicants who are self aware will:

* Be honest in admitting to failure

* Are self confident

* Are comfortable discussing about their strengths and weaknesses

* Know when to inquire for assistance

* Take intelligent, calculated threats

• Self-regulation

This refers to ones capability to recognize and control impulsive feelings, and how well you can consider before you act.  Persons who are in control of their feelings and impulses are outstandingly reasonable with those around them and make an atmosphere that is fair. They are also much good at adapting to change because they remotely panic and aren’t rapid to judge. They put their judgment aside, seek data and listen to the views of others. The symptoms of emotional self-regulation that can be observed during a job interview are:

* Persons who are reflective when giving their replies

* Operate with integrity

* Comfortable with entire aspects of change

* Sustains to be calm and level headed

• Motivation

This refers to the drive persons have to acquire beyond their own and other people’s hopes. This doesn’t involve money or status as a driver for victory. Those who have this quality strive to succeed for the sake of success and make much better leaders in comparison to those encouraged primarily by money or status. To prove you are highly encouraged during a job interview you require to show that you:

* Demonstrate great passion for the work itself

* Have high standards for the quality of your work

* Discuss about how you love challenges and learning latest things

* Continually strive to do things better

* Take honor in a job well done

* Challenge the status quo and find out latest approaches

• Empathy

This quality refers to the capability to comprehend other people’s emotions and to then be capable to treat them in accordance to their emotional reactions. Empathy is important for leaders if they need to handle a victorious team or agency. Leaders with empathy can put themselves in someone else’s shoes and observe things from their view. They assists to establish the persons on their team, offer constructive feedback, and listen to those who require it. Empathy is convenient to indicate in a job interview and no, it doesn’t mean you provide the employer a huge hug. To prove you have empathy you require to:

* Discuss about you capability to see another person’s view

* Highlight that you analyze body language in addition to what people say and do

* Mention relationship wins in customer and client service conditions.

• Social skills

This regards to how well you handle relationships and makes networks by seeking few common ground. It is not merely about being friendly, it includes motivation as well. Utilizing the social skills in a workplace situation means being friendly whilst you encourage others toward acquiring your objective or vision. To indicate an interviewer about your social skills you require showing you are:

* Very good at handling teams particularly if conflict resolution is needed

* Encourage others conveniently by reflecting passion for the job overall and task at hand

* Work cooperatively and conveniently in project teams

* Have good networking skills

* Work outstandingly well in cross functional teams

No matter how wise you are or how technically qualified you are those factors alone aren’t sufficient to make you a good leader. You must also be emotionally intelligent. Fortunately emotional intelligence can be learned and continually better. Work on establishing your emotional intelligence and make certain you indicate that you have these qualities in any job interview particularly if the role is a leadership post.