I opened a course book Grammar for Business by Cambridge University Press, and noticed a module called Emphasising and Softening. I guess, emotional Intelligence (EI) has finally embedded itself in our minds. You can open a similar course book on Business English or Marketing and there will be one or two modules on soft skills, managing conversations, or navigating sensitive cross-cultural communication.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and deal skillfully with one's own emotions and the emotions of others (as by regulating one's emotions or by showing empathy and good judgment in social interactions) MWD.
Not that EI appeared recently but psychologist Daniel Goleman and his book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995) propelled this set of skills. We are now aware (I hope!) that not only empathy, motivation, and social skills but also self-regulation and self-awareness have been identified as the most important components of EI to cultivate.
Significant attention is paid to EI + leadership. Grace under fire, conflict resolution, or building trust have always been essential for authentic leaders. Collaboration rather than fierce rivalry should exemplify EI pretty well. For leadership skills and workplace performance, dive into Harvard Business Review HBR's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence (2015).
Very simple
Wouldn’t you agree that simple things are often hard to do? Is it because we complicate things? Aren’t some things just simple enough? People tend to complicate; but people also tend to oversimplify. Black and white; light and dark.
The concept of EI is quite complex, intertwined with a myriad of things in our personal and professional lives. However, looking at it in a simple way—what can be done to be more flexible in the emotional intelligence realm? Just a few examples:
Self-regulation: One step at a time.
Self-awareness: Reflecting on actions and thought patterns.
Empathy: Active listening.
Motivation: Connect with your values.
Social skills: Pausing before responding. Responding, not reacting.
I assume that self-regulation is listed the first for a very solid reason. Happy self-mastery!