Don't Underestimate the Importance of This Professional Skill

We spend so much of our academic lives being taught the importance of math, languages, history, science – you name it. We’re told that mastering these skills (or at least one of them) is the ultimate key to achieving lifelong success in our future professional careers as lawyers, doctors, marketers, accountants, and everything of the like. And you know what – there’s some truth to this. Knowing how to do something – especially knowing how to do it well – will unlock some doors for you later down the line when you’re trying to secure a job and earn a living. But what they don’t tell you in school is this: don’t underestimate the importance of this professional skill. What professional skill am I talking about? That’s simple: emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is a fancy way of saying “the ability to understand and manage emotions.” And when you master emotional intelligence, you’re actually hacking the system by setting yourself up for success no matter what you do and no matter where you go. Don’t believe me? Then keep reading, because I have five perfect examples to show you exactly what I mean.

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Adaptability. In today’s contemporary world, things are changing around us in the blink of an eye. Keeping pace with the world around us is becoming increasingly difficult. The bright side? Managing these changes comes easier to those who possess emotional intelligence. A significant part of this stems from the fact that emotionally intelligent people recognize when they are getting too comfortable, acknowledge their negative emotions, solicit and consider multiple perspectives, read non-verbal cues, and avoid hastily reacting to setbacks (Harvey Deutschendorf on Fast Company, 2018).

Effective communication. When you’re able to better understand your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions, you in turn acquire a better understanding of these things in the people around you. The result? Improved communication with the people you encounter on a daily basis, making it better and more effective for you to work with others, and for them to work with you.

Leadership. When you possess emotional intelligence, you understand how to relate better to people, how to understand them, and how to build real relationships with them. As such, leadership starts to come more naturally to you; and when you find yourself in a leadership role, you become more than just a boss – you become a true leader of the people; a leader whose emotional intelligence shines through.

Conflict resolution. A typical reaction to conflict in the workplace might be to get defensive, close yourself off from your peers, react adversely, or say something rude/negative. But when you instinctively react in such a manner, you create a tense atmosphere in which working becomes difficult and unpleasant. On the contrary, when you’ve mastered emotional intelligence, you learn how to better deal with conflict when it arises. You’re more capable of staying calm in tense moments, de-escalating difficult situations, and helping bring about an air of calmness and understanding within your environment.

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Career success. When you take all of the above factors into consideration, it’s not difficult to see why an emotionally intelligent person will prove more successful in their career than their counterparts who are lacking this integral skill. An individual who can communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, take upon themselves leadership responsibilities, and adapt almost effortlessly to whatever situation comes their way is one who will be capable of achieving great things in their career of choice – whether this is a career as a linguist, a healthcare practitioner, a teacher, or something else. Because no matter what path they pursue professionally, emotionally intelligent people are bound to achieve career success.

Don’t take this as a sign to stop learning about the concrete topics you’re studying as a student, and certainly don’t take this as a sign that you wasted your time when you pursued your major of choice in college. Rather, let this article be your guide to understanding the importance of soft skills & emotional intelligence on your professional journey. Because when you master emotional intelligence, you’re also ensuring that you’re someone who is adaptable, communicates effectively, possesses leadership skills, is capable of conflict resolution, and is ultimately putting themselves on the path to career success. Don’t underestimate the importance of emotional intelligence in your professional life; learn about emotional intelligence early and watch yourself fly!