50MINUTES - Developing Your Emotional Intelligence: Boost your professional performance by understanding emotions

In 1983, Howard Gardner proposed his theory of multiple intelligences. Among these, he distinguished one form of intelligence related to relationships with others. This interpersonal or social intelligence allows the individual to act and react properly with others. [] It allows for empathy, cooperation, tolerance. [] This form of intelligence can solve problems relating to relationships with others; [] it is characteristic of leaders and organizers.

However, emotional intelligence was truly identified for the first time following the studies of Peter Salovey (born in 1958) and John D. Mayer (born in 1953) in the early 1990s. In their work, the two American psychologists defined emotional intelligence as a form of intelligence that involves the ability to control ones own feelings and emotions, and those of others, to distinguish between them and to use this information to guide their thoughts and actions.

Inspired by their research, Daniel Goleman (PhD in clinical psychology and personal development) introduced the concept to the general public in his book Emotional Intelligence (1996). In this book, he defines emotional intelligence as the ability [] to identify, access and control ones own emotions and those of others in a group. This definition was completed the following year by Salovey and Mayer, who described EI as the ability to perceive and express emotions, integrate to facilitate thought, understand and reason with emotion, as well as to regulate the emotions of oneself and of others. As for the term emotional intelligence, this emerged in the late 1990s with the work of Reuven Bar-On (born in 1944), who was the first to measure this kind of intelligence. This writer focused his reflection on the concept of yield and success potential, focusing on different emotional and social skills: self-awareness, understanding and expression, awareness of others, managing strong emotions, good conflict resolution and adaptability. He defines emotional intelligence as follows: Intelligence describes the aggregation of abilities, capabilities and skills []. The adjective emotional is used to emphasise that this specific type of intelligence differs from cognitive intelligence. For Bar-On, emotional intelligence is likely to be improved through training and therapy.

The Bar-On EQ-i

Bar-On set up the first test of emotional quotient, the Bar-On EQ-i , in 1997. Participants responded to 133 statements (In my daily life, my emotions often annoy me, I can easily tell if someone is lying to me, If I have a problem with somebody, I can easily talk to them, etc.) related to general life situations. Candidates had to answer using a scale from 1 to 5. After completing the questionnaire, the computer was able to calculate their emotional quotients based on five areas:

• intrapersonal skills;
• interpersonal skills;
• adaptability;
• stress management;
• overall mood.

Each point included five components such as assertiveness, stress tolerance, or impulse control.

Later, Daniel Goleman developed the concept of emotional intelligence by exploring it in the workplace and educational environments. According to him, emotional intelligence promotes professional and personal success. He adds that emotional intelligence allows children to be less aggressive and, later, to make the right decisions. In his book, Emotional Intelligence at Work , he puts forward the concept of leadership resonance, which he defines as the ability to put ones team on the same emotional wavelength and transmit ones own optimism and enthusiasm [] as opposed to leadership of dissonance, which produces an emotionally toxic environment [].