Theories Personality Psychology 5 Key Emotional Intelligence Skills By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 26, 2022 Learn more." data-inline-tooltip="true"> Medically reviewed Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Amy Morin, LCSW Medically reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Emotional intelligence skills are abilities that allow you to understand and manage your emotions. These skills are linked to a range of benefits including academic achievement, decision-making abilities, and overall success in life. Some experts have suggested that emotional intelligence, or EQ, might even be more important than IQ. Emotional intelligence includes the ability to recognize, interpret, and regulate your own emotions as well as those of other people. What does it take to be emotionally intelligent? According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, who popularized and wrote extensively about the concept, there are five components of emotional intelligence. This article discusses what you can do to learn to improve these emotional intelligence skills. By working on and increasing these skills, you can become more emotionally intelligent and raise your EQ. How Emotionally Intelligent Are You? 1 Self-Awareness Tom Werner / Getty Images Self-awareness, or the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, is a critical emotional intelligence skill. Beyond just recognizing your emotions, however, is being aware of the effect of your actions, moods, and emotions on other people. To become self-aware, you must be capable of monitoring your own emotions, recognizing different emotional reactions, and then correctly identifying each particular emotion. Self-aware individuals also recognize the relationships between the things they feel and how they behave. These individuals also recognize their own strengths and limitations, are open to new information and experiences, and learn from their interactions with others. Goleman suggests that people who possess self-awareness have a good sense of humor, are confident in themselves and their abilities, and are aware of how other people perceive them. How to Improve Self-Awareness Ask for constructive feedback Keep a journal Learn new skills Meditate Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions Pursue your passions Practice mindfulness Reflect on your experiences Set goals Use positive self-talk Work on building a growth mindset 2 Self-Regulation 10'000 Hours / Getty Images In addition to being aware of your own emotions and the impact you have on others, emotional intelligence requires you to be able to regulate and manage your emotions. This doesn't mean putting emotions on lockdown and hiding your true feelings—it simply means waiting for the right time and place to express them. Self-regulation is all about expressing your emotions appropriately. Those who are skilled in self-regulation tend to be flexible and adapt well to change. They are also good at managing conflict and diffusing tense or difficult situations. People with strong self-regulation skills also tend to be high in conscientiousness. They are thoughtful about how they influence others, and they take responsibility for their own actions. How to Improve Self-Regulation Be mindful of your thoughts and feelings Build distress tolerance skills Find ways to manage difficult emotions Look at challenges as opportunities Practice communication skills Recognize that you have a choice in how you respond Use cognitive reframing to change thought patterns and emotional responses Work on accepting your emotions 3 Social Skills Hinterhaus Productions / Getty Images Being able to interact well with others is another important aspect of emotional intelligence. Having strong social skills allows people to build meaningful relationships with other people and develop a stronger understanding of themselves and others. True emotional understanding involves more than just understanding your own emotions and those of others. You also need to be able to put this information to work in your daily interactions and communications. In professional settings, managers benefit by being able to build relationships and connections with employees. Workers benefit from being able to develop a strong rapport with leaders and co-workers. Important social skills include active listening, verbal communication skills, nonverbal communication skills, leadership, and persuasiveness. How to Improve Social Skills Ask open-ended questions Find icebreakers that will help start conversations Notice other people's social skills Practice good eye contact Practice your social skills Practice active listening Show interest in others Watch your body language 4 Empathy Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images Empathy, or the ability to understand how others are feeling, is absolutely critical to emotional intelligence. But it involves more than just being able to recognize the emotional states of others. It also involves your responses to people based on this information. When you sense that someone is feeling sad or hopeless, how do you respond? You might treat them with extra care and concern, or you might make an effort to buoy their spirits. Being empathetic also allows you to understand the power dynamics that often influence social relationships, especially in workplace settings. This is important for guiding your interactions with different people you encounter each day. Those competent in this area are able to sense who possesses power in different relationships. They also understand how these forces influence feelings and behaviors. Because of this, they can accurately interpret different situations that hinge on such power dynamics. How to Build Empathy Be willing to share your own feelings Engage in a cause such as a community project Listen to other people Practice loving-kindness meditation Talk to new people. Try to imagine yourself in someone else's place 5 Motivation Chad Springer / Getty Images Intrinsic motivation is another important emotional intelligence skill. People who are emotionally intelligent are motivated by things beyond external rewards like fame, money, recognition, and acclaim. Instead, they have a passion to fulfill their own inner needs and goals. They seek internal rewards, experience flow from being totally in tune with an activity, and pursue peak experiences. Those who are competent in this area tend to be action-oriented. They set goals, have a high need for achievement, and are always looking for ways to do better. They also tend to be very committed and are good at taking initiative. How to Improve Motivation Avoid overusing extrinsic rewards Celebrate your results Focus on setting small, measurable goals Introduce challenges to keep things interesting Set goals to help build intrinsic motivation Work with a friend or co-worker to find accountability Why Emotional Intelligence Skills Are Important Possessing strong emotional intelligence skills can have a number of positive effects on a person's life. People who have such skills always seem to keep their cool. They are able to handle even the most awkward social situations with grace. And they always seem to make others feel at ease. Some of the key benefits of having good emotional intelligence skills include improved: Leadership: Emotional intelligence allows you to be a more effective leader.Communication: Understanding how others are feeling allows you to communicate with them better.Self-knowledge: Being more aware of what you are feeling allows you to understand yourself more deeply.Self-control: Being aware of your emotions also allows you to develop your self-control abilities.Stress management: Managing your emotions effectively allows you to exert greater control in situations marked by stress or conflict. Having emotional intelligence abilities also allows you to feel greater empathy for the people around you. This skill plays an important role in developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Creating strong connections with other people allows you to foster and strengthen a social support network, which plays a pivotal role in both physical and mental health. Recap Building your emotional intelligence skills can have a positive impact on your life. In addition to helping you become more aware of your own feelings, these skills can help you build stronger relationships and succeed in social situations. A Word From Verywell Emotional intelligence is essential for understanding yourself as well as successfully navigating your social world. While some people tend to come by these skills naturally, there are strategies that anyone can use to learn and strengthen their emotional intelligence skills. Frequently Asked Questions How do you improve emotional intelligence skills? You can improve your emotional intelligence skills by identifying and naming your emotions. Once you are better able to recognize what you are feeling, you can then work on managing these feelings and using them to navigate social situations. Working on social skills, including your ability to work in a team and understand what others are feeling, can also help you develop strong emotional intelligence abilities. What emotional intelligence skills are important in managing conflict? Research suggests that skills such as problem-solving, stress management, and interpersonal relations are essential for effective conflict management. These abilities all require emotional intelligence, so boosting these skills can help you manage conflicts more successfully. How are emotional intelligence skills connected to interpersonal skills? Interpersonal skills are those abilities that you use when you are interacting and connecting with other people. They allow you to create healthy, meaningful relationships and to communicate effectively with the other people in your life.In order to develop these interpersonal skills, it is essential to be able to interpret and understand other people's emotions. This ability to understand the emotions of others is a key emotional intelligence skill. 9 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Drigas AS, Papoutsi C. A new layered model on emotional intelligence. Behav Sci (Basel). 2018;8(5):45. doi:10.3390/bs8050045 Goleman D. Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ. Bloomsbury. Hampson SE, Edmonds GW, Barckley M, Goldberg LR, Dubanoski JP, Hillier TA. A Big Five approach to self-regulation: personality traits and health trajectories in the Hawaii longitudinal study of personality and health. Psychol Health Med. 2016;21(2):152-62. doi:10.1080/13548506.2015.1061676 Trigueros R, Sanchez-Sanchez E, Mercader I, et al. Relationship between emotional intelligence, social skills and peer harassment. A study with high school students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(12):4208. doi:10.3390/ijerph17124208 Trigueros R, Aguilar-Parra JM, Cangas AJ, Bermejo R, Ferrandiz C, López-Liria R. Influence of emotional intelligence, motivation and resilience on academic performance and the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits among adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(16):2810. doi:10.3390/ijerph16162810 Reshetnikov VA, Tvorogova ND, Hersonskiy II, Sokolov NA, Petrunin AD, Drobyshev DA. Leadership and emotional intelligence: current trends in public health professionals training. Front Public Health. 2020;7:413. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00413 Gilar-Corbi R, Pozo-Rico T, Sánchez B, Castejón JL. Can emotional intelligence be improved? A randomized experimental study of a business-oriented EI training program for senior managers. PLoS One. 2019;14(10):e0224254. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0224254 Başoğul C, Özgür G. Role of emotional intelligence in conflict management strategies of nurses. Asian Nurs Res. 2016;10(3):228-233. doi:10.1016/j.anr.2016.07.002 Petrovici A, Dobrescu T. The role of emotional intelligence in building interpersonal communication skills. Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2014;116:1405-1410. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.406 Additional Reading Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. The emotional competence framework. Goleman D. Working with Emotional Intelligence. Bantam. By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit