Emotional intelligence key to career success

Jun 11, 2006

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to ride higher in life while others move in circles? Is it a magic golden touch that others receive as opposed to being destined for doom?

By Jamesa Wagwau
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to ride higher in life while others move in circles? Is it a magic golden touch that others receive as opposed to being destined for doom?
From early childhood, our parents and teachers push it down our minds that success in life is synonymous with excellent academic grades. Yes, books open doors, but what do you say when your honours degree is not as golden as you thought?
The situation is compounded when a former classmate who graduated with a ‘pass degree’ lands a ‘fat’ job with a house allowance that doubles your monthly salary! Your honours degree is just the foundation not the building. Getting a job and excelling at it takes more than academic grades.
First class grades are a measure of intellectual intelligence obtained from books which psychologists say accounts for about 20% of an individual’s success in life. The remaining 80% is constituted by what psychologists call emotional intelligence. This little known dimension of intelligence is perhaps the true reflection of the ‘person behind the transcript grades’.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise, understand and manage our emotions as well as our interaction with others. Dr Daniel Goleman in Working With Emotional Intelligence, states that emotional intelligence contributes 80 to 90% of the competencies that distinguish outstanding leaders from average leaders.
Our levels of emotional intelligence are reflected by emotional traits of self-awareness, self-management, interpersonal relationship and decision making. Emotional intelligence has attracted a myriad of research in both corporate and social circles. In a 40-year-investigation done at Massachusetts, USA, it was found that people’s success in both career and in life had little to do with intellectual competence. What made the biggest difference were emotional abilities such as being able to handle frustration, control emotions, make critical decisions and get along with other people. It turned out that social and emotional abilities were four times more important than technical skills in determining professional success and prestige in any career.
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