#emotional-intelligence

#emotional-intelligence

Here's what I discovered: Genuine intelligence has almost nothing to do with your GPA or standardized test scores. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that traditional measures of intelligence often miss crucial cognitive abilities that matter in real life. So what does authentic intelligence actually look like? After diving deep into the research, I've found seven signs that genuinely intelligent people share, and none of them involve memorizing formulas or acing the SATs.

Here's the thing: being smart doesn't guarantee success. Having a fancy education doesn't either. What actually makes the difference? Emotional intelligence. Some people just get it. They pick up on tension before it explodes. They know when to push and when to back off. They make you feel heard, even when they disagree with you. And guess what? Those are the people who get promoted, build strong teams, and actually enjoy their careers.

Ever notice how some people seem to thrive at huge parties while you're mentally calculating the earliest acceptable time to leave? Or how your Instagram feed is full of group photos from weekend brunches with fifteen people, but the thought of coordinating that many schedules makes you want to take a nap?

What makes them different? After years of observing human behavior and diving into the psychology behind our social habits, I've noticed that people who genuinely enjoy eating alone in public share some fascinating traits. We've all seen these people. Maybe you are one of them. While others fidget with their phones or rush through their food when dining solo, these individuals savor every bite, unbothered by the social conventions that make many of us squirm at the thought of a table for one.

In some cases, fear of looking dumb is a symptom of social anxiety disorder (APA, 2022), and it can be associated with perfectionism and fear of failure. It can show up in issues such as imposter syndrome, or feeling like a fraud and worrying about not rising to the expectations of a high-achieving position. It can also be related to stereotype threat, when someone's membership in a marginalized group leads them to worry that they will act in a way that confirms negative stereotypes.

Being humans, we do not exist in isolation from the outward world that encompasses other humans, flora, and fauna, for which we need social interactions with others in our surroundings. In fact, we are called "social animals" for whom social interactions are of utmost importance for maintaining our mental fitness and staying psychologically fit, present, stable, and valued.

Among tactical implementation, developing players and dealing with the media, keeping a healthy dressing room atmosphere is one of the most important roles for a football manager. Managers can be strong tacticians but a failure to keep the dressing room under control could lead to total collapse-something Vincent Kompany's predecessors, Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel, learnt the hard way. In contrast, the 39-year-old Belgian manager is capitalizing on his emotional intelligence to find the perfect balance at Bayern Munich.

In today's rapidly changing work environment, developing trust among team members is crucial for success. Yet, many organizations struggle to foster an atmosphere of collaboration and understanding, often resulting in communication breakdowns, conflicts, and a decrease in productivity. The inability to trust can be the result of misunderstanding, conflicting values, or misjudging others because they trigger us and remind us of a negative situation or experience in our past.

The New Year is generally a time for reflection, where we think about our lives in years past and, inevitably, the people in them. Today, we are privileged in that reconnecting with those acquaintances, childhood classmates, or former colleagues after years is not only possible, but, thanks to living in the digital age, easy to do. While reaching out to old friends can lead to genuine, meaningful renewal, sometimes, a "blast from the past" can also provoke discomfort, confusion, or emotional fatigue instead.

"What does it mean to be the best coach or the best team enabler? What are the skill sets that you now have to grow in your teams in an era of AI where the expectation is judgment, decision-making, and creativity?"

What he learned in the process inspired him to develop an "immerse interviewing" strategy, complete with rating emotional quotient (EQ)and ranking 80 skills. "To reduce the chances that I'd fail at the critical task of hiring the right people, and increase the chances that I'd succeed at hiring great people, I had been refining my interviewing technique," Frankfort wrote for Harvard Business Review last month. "I wanted to be more interactive so I might have a complete view of a person."

We are living in turbulent times and there is no reason to expect that things will become less so in the future. During such moments our emotions become strained and pushed to their limits. Stress increases as emotions are stretched, making it increasingly important that we are able to recognize the effects of it in ourselves as well as others in our environment.

Colored rubber bracelets hung on our wrists to remind us of the cause du jour. Wide-legged jeans are back in again, and we must never forget the frosted tips of the early aughts (many of us still regret that one). All trends have one thing in common: they sure seemed like a good idea at the time and ostensibly serve some purpose, despite looking silly in hindsight. My junior high school yearbook picture drives that truth home.

Emotions evolved through natural selection as a way to get humans to avoid things that would threaten their survival and approach things that would serve them. Fear prompts us to defend ourselves. Love motivates us to connect, nurture, and cooperate. Anger arises when something threatens our values or boundaries. In essence, emotions condense our judgment about what's happening around us, driving us to make the "right" decision for survival and adaptation.

In a world that constantly demands more-more time, more energy, more output-the ability to say "no" has become a critical life skill. Yet for many people, uttering that two-letter word feels almost impossible. Fear of rejection, conflict, or disappointing others often keeps individuals trapped in a cycle of overcommitment and quiet resentment. Learning how to say no is not about being unkind or dismissive; it's about cultivating self-respect, protecting your energy, and aligning your actions with your values.

Practice humility. Let the hiring manager see your true personality. "Being open and humble in responses is something I value in most candidates," says Jenny Amalfi, president of the Americas at Airswift, a Houston-based full-service employment agency. "While being technically great is always important, the personal side of a candidate often outweighs their technical ability in the interview process." She notes that companies seek hires who are strong collaborators-keep that front in mind, even as you navigate late-stage interviews.

That familiar sound of escalating voices fills the house again. One second the siblings were playing peacefully, and the next moment, World War III has erupted in the living room. Sound familiar? Sibling rivalry is as old as time, yet dealing with the daily battles between brothers and sisters remains one of parenting's greatest challenges. This comprehensive how to deal with sibling rivalry guide explores practical strategies to reduce sibling conflict, foster meaningful bonds, and transform your home from a battleground to a playground.