Applying emotional intelligence in the workplace

Many leaders and other professionals tend to stick to the realm of facts and intellect when it comes to work and managing people. Emotions are considered "leaky." But new thought contends that people who trust their gut feelings and use them effectively can forge better work relationships, become more productive, and motivate others to accomplish more. Based on this Executive EQ: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership & Organizations, co-written with Ayman Sawaf, Cooper lays out a "new science" for tapping into intuition and other processes that are considered emotion-oriented. But, Cooper cautions, it's not enough just to have emotions. You have to know how to acknowledge and value feelings in yourself and others, and how to respond appropriately to them. That's what it means to use emotional intelligence. A firm, Q-Metrics, has developed two instruments for measuring emotional intelligence-which, Cooper says, is learnable at any age. He contends that by using emotional intelligence you can increase you intuition, you capacity to trust and inspire trust, you sense of integrity and authenticity, your appreciation of constructive discontent, and your ability to find innovative solutions. You will also become a more effective leader. Emotional intelligence can help put you in touch with untapped well-springs of personal and professional growth and creativity. Emotional intelligence also offers profitable information. Cooper identifies three EQ-related forces that drive competitive advantage: building relationships of mutual trust, boosting energy and effectiveness, and creating the future. The article includes exercises for forging trust with co-workers.