In our article in the Training Zone today (http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/topic/leadership/are-you-missing-out-potential-emotional-intelligence) we talk about how being emotionally intelligent is not a soft option, and how the emotionally intelligent leader, wherever they may be within an organisation, is a power for success.
It's a tactical option to raise the game of anyone on both a professional and a personal level. Being emotionally intelligent means that we have high self awareness about what makes us function in either a really effective way or what scuppers our ability at every turn. It means we're aware of how we respond to challenges as well as success, it means we can bounce back from adverse conditions - whether they're self inflicted or 'outside of our control'.
Stuff happens all the time - sometimes it's good stuff, sometimes it's bad, and often it's somewhere in between. It's not necessarily the 'stuff' that makes our lives difficult, it's the way we respond to it.
I saw on television this week the moving and yet uplifting story of Katie Piper, the young woman who had sulphuric acid thrown in her face. She has had the most challenging few months of her life, overcoming life threatening injuries, disfigurement and pain. And yet I saw and heard a beautiful, empowered, inspiring woman who talked about her experiences with not a scrap of self-pity. She's talking about her experiences to help others realise that life doesn't have to end or be unbearable when something incredibly awful happens.
Her message is pretty much that you choose how your life's going to go - and that's as true for any other person as it is for someone who's had to face up to life changing events.
EI is about choosing your attitude in any given situation, it's about being aware of the impact our emotions and behaviours have on us and those people around us. It's about becoming aware of what really strong positive behaviours get us to where we want to be, and it's about listening to ourselves and others to see where we can really up our game.
Our emotional intelligence can be developed if we choose to - it can help us be resilient in the face of adversity, and can help us enjoy and see the possibilities in even the darkest moments.
And just imagine what being emotionally intelligent can do for us when things are going well! To have that tactic up our sleeve to draw on at any moment, to be able to bring the best out in ourselves, and encourage the best in others.
Is that a soft skill? Or is it a tactic for success, engaging leadership and huge personal growth?
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