Top 5 Ways to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence

If you want to succeed in both your professional and personal life, there is a broad range of skills that you need to develop. While your vision and fresh and creative ideas are critical aspects of success, expanding research shows that emotional intelligence is an incredibly important skill for effective leadership and success. Here are the top five ways you can boost your emotional intelligence and find success. 

Increase Your Self-Awareness
Great leaders make themselves and their personal improvement a lifelong project. They actively seek out people who will tell them the truth about how they come across to others and areas where they can make improvements. They look for organizations that will accommodate them or spend money on a coach who will provide them with honest feedback. Great leaders recognize that they are a work in progress and are always looking for ways to improve. 

Develop Your Listening Skills
Good leaders are always aware of how essential listening skills are for success. They recognize that everyone has the desire to be heard. Not only do you receive more crucial information when you develop your listening skills, but you are better able to connect with others by picking up meanings and messages through nonverbal cues. 

Show a Genuine Interest in Others
Not only do emotionally intelligent people learn the names of everyone that works at their company, but they also make it a point to find out as much about others as possible. They strive to find out what matters to them, whether it is their family, special interests, or hobbies. Showing a personal interest in those around you show others that they are valued as people, rather than just cogs in the machine. 

Develop Your Ability to Manage Emotions
Developing your ability to manage not only yours but otherÕs emotions is an important skill to have. Leaders that possess high emotional intelligence can process information and respond only after theyÕve thought about the situation. Emotionally intelligent people can pick up the underlying feelings behind the words spoken.

Develop a Strong Sense of Appreciation
Great leaders, with high emotional intelligence, are always appreciative and aware that they have others to thank for them to where they are. One way you can develop more gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal and write down three things you are grateful for every day, to help them maintain a positive attitude and their motivation high throughout the day.

High emotional intelligence is an essential aspect of success. Incorporate these five tips into your life to help you boost your emotional intelligence.
