Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a crucial asset for leaders and employees but it’s been discovered that emotionally-intelligent people are also some of the greatest innovators. But why? According to Daniel Goleman, the man to first coin the term, EQ involves self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. Here are seven reasons why emotionally intelligent people make the best innovators and why they’re sought out by some of the most successful companies around the world.
Emotionally intelligent people keep their ego in check. They have their egos under control, are open to other people’s ideas and don’t assume their ideas are always best. As a result, they’re able to accumulate a larger source of data from which to draw from. They also avoid liking popular ideas to receive recognition. For example, Bill Gates — an American business magnate, philanthropist, investor, computer programmer and inventor — thought there was no future in the Internet. But soon he realized he made a mistake, quickly jumped on board and made billions. His need to be successful overrode his need to be right.
They can empathize with coworkers and customers. Being emotionally intelligent allows people to feel comfortable around you. To truly understand a customers’ needs you have to have empathy. It’s not just about the product. It’s about the people. As Maya Angelou said: “You may not remember what someone said to you, but you will remember how they made you feel.”
Emotionally intelligent people are confident. Even though they may not think their ideas are always spot on, they truly believe in their craft and innovate accordingly. They see failure as a temporary setback — failing uncovers ways that don’t work, which brings them closer to ways that will. Great innovators like Thomas Edison failed countless times before achieving breakthroughs that led to success.
Emotions don’t affect their innovation efforts. Emotionally intelligent people love to create because it gives them a sense of purpose. They see failure as a process that takes them one step closer to being their best self. They don’t defend an idea that is proven wrong. And they seek to advance themselves personally and are always looking to improve their ideas.
They have a relentless thirst for discovery. Emotionally intelligent people are curious about people, concepts and issues. They read, seek out new ideas and love expanding their knowledge. They notice every opportunity — a random meeting with a stranger, a conversation or an event is always an opportunity to learn something new.
Emotionally intelligent people are good listeners. They pick up on information, are able to sit back and take it in and are adept at processing information. When someone is speaking, most people are formulating a response instead of focusing on what the other person is saying. Emotionally intelligent innovators are aware of the tone of the words, the body language expressed and the emotions behind them. This allows the individual to not only absorb valuable information but develop strong relationships with others. We all have a strong desire to be heard and are attracted to people who make an effort to truly hear us.
They can take direction. Emotionally intelligent people have a keen sense of awareness. They can express their emotions in a way that isn’t confrontational. They can be assertive without being aggressive. One must be able to take direction in order to give direction.
Harvey Deutschendorf is an emotional intelligence expert, author and speaker. To take the EI Quiz go here. His book, The Other Kind Of Smart, Simple Ways to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence for Greater Personal Effectiveness and Success has been translated into four languages. You can follow him on Twitter @theeiguy.
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