Benefits of Emotional Intelligence
" Educating for life requires developing the whole person. This demands empowering both analytic thinking and emotional intelligence. Without both, learning is incomplete.
Robert G. Jerus
"Imagine a world where individual efforts benefit the masses rather than a privileged few. Widespread increase of emotional intelligence can help create such a world."
Ronnie Cunningham
Once I began to really understand the benefits provided by Emotional Intelligence, I was quickly drawn in to its power and the possibilities it brings. EI not only provides significant benefits, but also mitigates many negatives. I have a background in emergency management and in that field any time one gains benefits and at the same time is able to minimize negative situations, the better off things will be. There are four basic cycles in emergency management;
(1) Prevention/mitigation
(2) Preparedness
(3) Response
(4) Recovery.
Gaining the ability to reap both benefits and mitigate negatives in each of these areas can positively impact efforts across the board. In emergency management, gaining benefits can save lives, and property can be preserved. Response and recovery times can be minimized as well.
Unfortunately we now live in a world where everyone could benefit from gaining some understanding of emergency management principles. However, that will be the subject to be explored later. Fortunately, everyone could also benefit by increasing their emotional intelligence and that is where our focus here will be.
Here are a few areas where substantial benefits can be gained as a result of increasing our emotional intelligence. As you review these areas below, think of which you would like to improve upon in your life.
Emotional Intelligence can help improve one's:
- Perspective
- Empathy
- Relationships
- Mental Toughness
- Resilience
- Leadership
- Influence
- Creativity
- Optimism
- Self-image/self-esteem
- Happiness
- Achievement
- Teamwork/Collaboration skills
Granted, any two to three of these can make a huge difference in one's life. Think for a moment about the totality of the cumulative impacts that could be gained to improve the quality of both one's life and relationships. These can be life changing benefits, and there are many more! Emotional intelligence has the potential to not only change one's life, but also the lives of those who mean the most to them.
Let's now turn our focus for a moment to a few negatives/risks that can be mitigated by increasing emotional intelligence.
- Reduced health, conduct and safety concerns
- Lowers stress, tension and anxiety levels
- Lowers levels of hostile behavior
- Reduces emotional distress & negative conduct/behavioral issues
- Lowers concern for academic, social professional and personal failure
- Reduces levels of disengagement and personal chaos
- Reduces level of depression or feelings of isolation
Surely these benefits and negatives mitigated can add significant value to one's life and also the quality of relationships. The benefits outweigh any investment of resources required to learn more about emotional intelligence. Learning how to increase EI and apply it in life can open doors of opportunity. Another benefit of emotional intelligence, unlike IQ (intellectual quotient) it can be continually increased over time and should become part of one’s intentional lifelong learning practice.
Growing analytically and emotionally is the best path for whole-person development. We all understand the importance of balance in our lives, yet few are able to maintain that balance successfully. Could the lack of developing emotionally be the reason?
