Think of the last time you were really emotional.  Maybe it was in traffic, maybe during a discussion with your spouse, or maybe last week during a team meeting when no one was listening to your point of view. Now ask yourself this question: In that moment, how intelligent did you feel? 

Our emotions have the power to override our rational thoughts.  They have the ability to make us act foolish in the heat of the moment.  In fact, these “emotional hijackings” are responsible for most of the damage done in relationships.  That’s probably why we so often hear “check your emotions at the door” or “leave emotions out of it.”  After all, this is business, it’s nothing personal.

But that can’t be right either.  We have been designed to experience emotions.  Our emotions give us valuable information about the world around us.  Our emotions are key to our survival.  Without them, decisions are made without passion, our lives lack meaning, and our closest relationships suffer

The answer is emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence gives us the ability to apply the right emotion at the right time.  People who have high EI are able to be aware of their emotions without being taken over by them.  They are able to tune into their own emotional needs and the needs of those around them.  They are able to stay motivated in difficult times and they have the ability to build trusting relationships.

Unlike traditional IQ – which peaks sometime in early adulthood and then begins to decline - Emotional Intelligence can be learned anytime.  What that means is anyone can learn the skills needed to increase their success and positively impact personal and team effectiveness.  By learning to capture the power of emotions, anyone can increase their empathy and build trusting relationships.   Anyone can learn the techniques of healthy confrontation, authentic listening and self-motivation.  Anyone can become better. 

Click here to learn more about the EI courses covering the following topics: