How to Be Emotionally Intelligent

• Realistic self-confidence: You recognize your own abilities and shortcomings; you operate from competence and know when to rely on someone else.
• Emotional insight: You are aware of your own feelings. You can identify the cause of the emotions to help you manage them.

• Resilience: You know how to stay calm under pressure and can recover quickly from upsets. 
• Emotional balance: You can control any distressful feelings without blowing up at people.
• Self-motivation: You keep moving toward long-term goals despite setbacks.

• Cognitive and emotional empathy: You can describe things in ways your colleagues can understand because you are aware of different perspectives.
• Good listening: You pay full attention to the other person and make sure you understand what they are saying.

• Compelling communication: You put your points in precise ways that persuade so that people are motivated.
• Team playing: People feel relaxed working with you.

Knowledge, smarts and vision are characteristic of a great leader. Add to these the ability to identify and monitor emotions (your own and others) and to manage relationships. 

Qualities associated with such emotional intelligence distinguish the best leaders in the corporate world.