Are you good at reading people? Can you tell how someone is feeling based on the furrow in their brow? Can you put a lid on your own emotions, and can you anticipate how your actions will be read by others?

If you answered yes, you have high Emotional Intelligence. But what exactly is it, when did we start talking about it, and why is it a buzzword in the workplace?

What is emotional intelligence? 

Emotional Intelligence (abbreviated to EI or EQ, meaning the ‘Emotional Quotient’) was coined in 1990 in a research paper by two psychology professors, John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey. They believed there was more to intelligence than what is formally assessed in IQ tests; intelligence is also “the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.” 

In other words, can you: 

1. Identify what you or someone else is feeling,
2. Make sense of why they’re feeling that way,
3. Effectively manage your actions based on the emotions you’re feeling,
4. Use your emotions to make better judgements and smarter decisions?

When did we start talking about it?

Although the term was born in the 1990s, EI as a concept began to formally take shape as early as the 1930s, when psychologist Edward Thorndike described “social intelligence” as “the ability to understand and manage men and women, boys and girls, and to act wisely in human relations”. 

Of course, this thinking goes back millenia; you only need to look at Shakespeare – “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself a fool” (As You Like It, 1599) – to see early explorations of self-awareness, a concept often explored in EI. Go back even further to the Delphic maxims inscribed 2000 years ago on the Temple of Apollo, where “Know thyself” and “Nothing in excess” point to notions of self control and understanding your emotions. 

Why is Emotional Intelligence so important in the workplace?

Many attribute our modern interest in EI to author Daniel Goleman. After coming across Mayer and Salovey’s research, he borrowed the phrase for his seminal 1995 book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.  

“Those were days when the preeminence of IQ as the standard of excellence in life was unquestioned; a debate raged over whether it was set in our genes or due to experience,” comments Goleman on the days before we readily valued EQ. “But here, suddenly, was a new way of thinking about the ingredients of life success. I was electrified by the notion.” 

For Goleman, IQ didn’t determine whether someone would succeed in the business world, but EI did: “The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They do matter, but…they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions.”

Goleman’s legacy remains: a recent study found that 59% of employers wouldn’t hire someone who had a high IQ but a low EQ.

What are the dangers of Emotional Intelligence?

Just as IQ isn’t a test for being a good person, neither is EI. “Emotional intelligence is important, but the unbridled enthusiasm has obscured a dark side,” says Adam Grant, organisational psychologist. 

“New evidence shows that when people hone their emotional skills, they become better at manipulating others. When you’re good at controlling your own emotions, you can disguise your true feelings. When you know what others are feeling, you can tug at their heartstrings and motivate them to act against their own best interests.”

Yet Emotional Intelligence is a trait that plagues job postings: one journalist notes its appearance on adverts for a host at a popular restaurant chain, weight-loss specialist, CEO, shoe salesperson, and even an animal-care coordinator.

Can you increase your EI?

Luckily, Emotional Intelligence, and using it for good, is something that you can improve throughout your life. According to Mark Craemer, author of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace, you must first start with gaining self-awareness: “If you can’t figure out what it is you are thinking, feeling and wanting at any given moment, it’s tough for you to move on from there.” 

So much of work in any field and any level is about relationships, according to Amy Bradley, an adjunct professor of management and leadership. “Work gets done through people, and if you’re unable to work with your own and other’s emotions, it becomes very difficult to get things done productively and sustainably.” 

Further reading

• Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ – Daniel Goleman
• ‘The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence’ by Adam Grant – The Beautiful Truth
• ‘Emotional Intelligence’ – Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer
• The Explainer: Emotional Intelligence – Harvard Business Review