A modified version of this article was originally published on the MPI Toronto Chapter’s MEETING Magazine. To view the original post, please click here.
What is emotional intelligence and why is it so powerful?
Described in the dictionary as “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically” – it’s a powerful skill to have if you ask me.
Earlier last year I was encouraged by my manager to take a course on Emotional Intelligence as a way to strengthen my leadership and relationship building abilities. It had been on my radar for a while, and with her support, my employer made it happen.
We all have shining moments as well as areas for improvement, and emotional intelligence was the latter one for me, where this “fault” of mine had affected me in personal and professional settings throughout my life. At times, my outgoing personality, combined with my excitement, passion and talkative persona could easily over take a conversation and unintentionally give people the wrong impression. My overall awareness of the situation and others around could be single-sided, and potentially lead to misunderstandings. — Don’t get me wrong, I am a friendly and kind-hearted person! And anyone who knows me can attest to that… but it’s important to recognize our faults in order to grow and become a better version of ourselves.
M for Mariella 