Dec Web

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
THE BALANCING OF INTELLECT.
by Evin Ersan College Reporter, Boston University
For one of my college essays, I wrote about
emotional intelligence and how it factors into
leadership roles. I recently read a very compelling
article on this subject written by Bob Gershberg,
CEO/Managing Partner of Wray Executive Search.
Mr. Gershberg does a wonderful job defining
emotional intelligence and its importance in our
society. Here are the highlights of his article and my
thoughts on it.
The dictionary defines emotion as, “A natural
instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s
circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.”
In a world where emotions are running very high
right now, I believe society is slowly realizing that
how we handle our emotions and the emotions of
others can make a big difference in the outcomes
we can expect. Emotionally charged acts or words
are known to ignite strong responses. This is not
necessarily always a negative thing. Emotion can
be part of paving the way towards change if it is
used in a way to enlighten and inspire others. It
can also go very wrong when it offends, separates,
alienates, or disregards the feelings and/or beliefs
of others.
10 December 2021 I QC Family Focus
Emotional intelligence, or EQ as it is referred
to in science, is the ability to detect, comprehend,
regulate, and understand our emotions as well as
the emotions of others. To do so, Mr. Gershberg
states one must possess talents in, “self-control,
social skills, relationships, communication and
influencing or motivating other people — all great
skills for personal and professional success.”
According to the University of New Hampshire
psychology department, emotional intelligence is
the, “ability to validly reason with emotions and to
use emotions to enhance thought.” EQ refers to
an individual’s ability to perceive, control, evaluate,
and express emotions. People with a high EQ can
manage emotions, use their emotions to facilitate
thinking, understand emotional meanings and
accurately perceive others’ emotions. EQ is partially
determined by how a person relates to others and
maintains emotional control.”
The Harvard Business Review has hailed
emotional intelligence as, “a ground-breaking,
paradigm-shattering idea” and “one of the most
influential business ideas of the decade.”
So what is the difference between IQ and EQ?