07.01.02 What is Emotional Intelligence?

What is Emotional Intelligence? 

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the capacity to understand and manage emotions in a manner that fosters connection and understanding rather than conflict and strife. EI comprises self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

While self-awareness involves recognising your own emotions, triggers and their impact on how you behave; self-regulation is about pausing before reacting, controlling your impulses and managing intense emotions such as anger rather than lashing out. Motivation involves your commitment to personal growth and working through challenges instead of trying to ‘win’ arguments. Empathy, on the other hand, refers to actively listening and understanding your partner’s emotions, even if you do not agree with them. Last but not least, social skills refer to communicating clearly, repairing trust after conflict, and managing disputes constructively.

In other words, emotional intelligence involves recognising, interpreting accurately and translating your feelings into decisions that promote trust, clarity and stability in relationships.