Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability and willingness to deal with and modify emotions in oneself and others. Being able to manage the outward expression of emotions helps to reduce ambiguity and facilitate trust and relationships in all areas.
Emotional experiences often leave deep marks in our lives and we need to learn to live with our emotions. If not properly understood, they can lead to stress, conflict and suffering, but if we learn to speak the emotional language, value kindness, empathy and motivation, they can help us relate to others, make the right decisions and even strengthen the immune system.
Emotional intelligence can also be particularly useful for effective leadership. Motivating a team means having the sensitivity to understand for each of them, what is the lever that moves them. For some, it may be money, for others personal and professional satisfaction, for others still an act of revenge on life.
Emotionally intelligent leaders understand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for motivating direct reports.