Posted by Lee Mulberry on Oct 18, 2016 in Executive Leadership
When studying Emotional Intelligence you learn how to identify your emotions and to have a menu of behavioral options available to you for each emotion. You learn about the impact your verbal and non-verbal communication has on others.
One of the really great things about Emotional Intelligence (EQ) vs. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is that you can significantly increase your EQ through awareness, study and practice. Your IQ is pretty much set at an early age.
Important caution – it takes time, diligence and patience to ingrain new behavioral patterns. Also, using your new skills and behaviors during normal times is much easier than when you are under stress. To use a golf metaphor, it is one thing to play a round with your buddies but an entirely different thing to play in the Ryder Cup.
Northern Star Bottom Line: Beware that under stress we tend to revert to the thoughts and behaviors that are habits. Experts say that it take 10,000 repetitions for something to become an ingrained habit. Keep this in mind and plan ahead for those stressful times.