A survey of 733 multi-millionaires throughout the US were asked to rate factors (out of 30) most responsible for their success. These were the top 5:
- Being honest with all people
- Being well disciplined
- Getting along with people
- Having a supportive spouse
- Working harder than most people
All five are reflections of emotional intelligence, not IQ.
Albert Einstein’s IQ was estimated at 160, Madonna’s is 140, and John F. Kennedy’s was only 119, but as it goes, your IQ score hardly rates in comparison with your EQ when it comes to predicting your success, professional achievement and, therefore, earning power, according to Forbes Leadership. In fact, IQ was 21st on the list and was only endorsed by 20% of respondents.
If you want to be successful in any capacity – be it personally, professionally, or financially, improving Emotional Intelligence has to be top of mind.
So here’s 5 tips to improve your EQ:
- Listen. Actively listen to what people are communicating to better understand and empathize with their experiences. Don’t judge, and show you’re listening with a nod of the head, a question, or other types of feedback.
- Resilience. Allow imperfection. Pay attention to how you react in emotional situations. Practice acceptance. Bounce back from adversity. Find balance.
- Relationships. Be open to feedback and criticism. Decrease conflict by stepping into someone else’s shoes. Know your stressors and manage them.
- Vocabulary. Use an extensive vocabulary of feelings. The average person can identify only three emotions when they are actually feeling them: happy, sad, and angry. Yet, according to Brené Brown in her book, Atlas of the Heart, there are 87 emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human.
- Emotions. Identify your triggers. Be aware of physical symptoms. Manage your negative emotions. Engage in positive self-talk. Practice mindfulness.
Want more information and practical tools? Check out our menu of trainings here.
Sincerely,
Kathy and The Civility Partners Team
