People With High EQ – Emotional Intelligence – Have More Successful Careers

Although IQ is thought to be crucial in order to be successful (albeit many instances suggest otherwise), emotional intelligence (or EQ) is just as important for those who seek better work environment and higher salaries.

Emotional intelligence quotient distinguishes one’s ability to understand your coworkers better and work well with others, while it has also been proven that people with a high EQ tend to earn much more, have more successful careers, and even have better psychological health.

It appears it is all about building interpersonal relationships and social networks, and those with highly developed emotional intelligence are more likely to succeed.

As Forbes reports, persons with higher EQs earn around $29,000 more than coworkers with lower levels of emotional intelligence. “Every point of EQ added increases salary by $1,300. This holds true no matter one’s industry, position, or region of the world. In fact, the higher up on the food chain a person is, the more important emotional intelligence becomes.”

(ALSO CHECK OUT: The Life Of A Pro Gamer – How To Make Millions Playing Video Games)

EQ As The Secret Ingredient For Success

Emotional intelligence was first accounted for back in 1995 when Travis Bradberry, the co-author of the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, launched this concept into the business atmosphere. What happened was that researchers at the time found a mysterious result in a study which they later defined as EQ. This new divide of intelligence to IQ and EQ allowed them to realize that people with a high EQ and an average IQ outperformed those with a high IQ and average EQ. These results occurred 70% of the time.

The study published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior found that one particular trait within EQ called “Emotion Recognition Ability” – the ability to notice and understand the emotional states of others – was proven to be the crucial characteristic that makes people with high EQ much more successful.

“The better people are at recognizing emotions,” wrote the authors, “the better they handle the politics in organizations and the interpersonal aspects of work life, and thus the more they earn in their jobs.” Researchers paid special attention to things like hours worked, experience, education, age, and gender.

It’s All About Emotion And Communication

Aside from the short-term studies mentioned above, there was one long-term research conducted by Joseph Rode at the University of Miami. The experiment found that those with a high EQ, even if they didn’t have certain technical skills needed for the job, managed to enlist the help of a mentor, gain skills and experience, and move forward and upward in their careers more easily and more quickly than those with lower EQ.

This precious “social capital” gave these employees edge and allowed them to form strong social networks and communicate more freely and effectively with their co-workers. Researchers also pointed out that those with a high EQ are usually:

• More helpful
• More supportive, and thus they get more support and help in return
• More skillful when it comes to managing others
• More flexible and able to adapt

All these findings suggest that people with a high EQ are more likely to have successful careers, work in better companies, and have higher salaries than those who have lower EQs. So how does one build up their emotional intelligence? Empathy is the key! When you are able to understand your emotions and emotions of those who surround you, you become a better co-worker and a better person overall.