EI, the ultimate success factor

Success is not a function of one’s looks, IQ, physique, knowledge, skill, hard work or energy level. A lot of us  fail with high IQ, good looks and abundant knowledge, some of whom  work  hard  like a donkey. In today’s world Emotional Intelligence makes all the difference. EI, simply put, is one’s ability to understand, evaluate, monitor and control one’s own feelings and emotions. It is partly an inborn characteristic and partly a learnt one.

 One should be aware of one’s emotional set up and its impact on others and learn to control it.  Without regulating one’s feelings and reactions based on it, he/she can never cultivate meaningful relationships at home or at the work place.  Theodor Roosevelt feels that the most important single ingredient in the formula of success is how to get along with people. You cannot achieve great success without the help of others and people are more willing to help you if you have built a meaningful relationship. You cannot be victims of the stimuli- response patterns of behavior (reacting to a situation based on your instinct like animals do).We should decide our reactions suitably and  consciously, learning to treat the person with respect no matter who the guy is or how he behaved to you.    

Empathy-the ability to know the emotional make-up of other people- is one of the hallmarks of emotional intelligence.  You should be able to treat people, colleagues, family members, subordinates and superiors, as per their emotional set-up. If you react angrily to an angry outburst from one of your workers, friends or dear ones, well,  you are just like him with no control over your emotions and you cannot  be a leader and without becoming one there is no way you can succeed. To effectively behave to people you need to be cognizant of their emotional set-up and the why of their behavior before you react. The proficiency in building and managing relationships and networks--social skills-- is a crucial characteristic of emotional intelligence.

Your strong drive to achieve goals, passion to work for more than you are paid for and the desire to go the extra mile in whatever you do, will alone motivate people and this is another indication of a leader. You will have then the mental set-up to challenge any failure and overcome every obstacle on the way. You will be able to work comfortably even in an ambiguous situation.