A timeless classic: Emotional Intelligence 2.0

It was in 2009 that I started to become aware of the importance our emotions play in our personal and professional lives. I had tried reading the esteemed Daniel Goleman’s book called Emotional Intelligence, but with all due respect, it was a bit too complicated and heavy. When I came across Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves it all clicked and I was hooked. In early days, it was like mining gold when studies showed that 58% of job performance – in any job – is accounted for by emotional intelligence (EQ). Wow, I could improve my performance by building awareness and building new habits!

 

“Your emotions are powerful weapons, and continuing to think that their effects are instant and minimal will only do you a disservice.”

– Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves

 

In short, EQ is my ability to recognize and understand emotions in myself and others, combined with my ability to use such awareness to manage my behaviour in relating with others. Using a simplistic and resonant approach, this book illustrated the personal and social elements of building EQ. From a personal perspective (100% within my control), EQ is about increasing self-awareness by accurately perceiving and naming my emotions, then exercising self-management by being flexible and directing my behaviours in a helpful way. So these two elements cover what I’m experiencing. Without naming it as such, these were early insights into mastering the art of response over reaction. Sound familiar?

From a social perspective, and covering how I interact with other people – because I share this world with over 8 billion other human beings – it is incumbent on me to learn to also build social awareness so that I can accurately sense and understand the emotions of others so that I can then use this to manage interactions in a healthy and positive way through relationship management. That’s it, two perspectives, increased awareness, and intentional responses are all it takes to build even better relationships with myself and others.

 

 

A few of my favourite things about this book include:

  • It comes with an access code to complete a free online assessment so that I can see where my strengths and weaknesses are in applying the concepts of EQ.
  • I don’t have to read all 250 pages to benefit from the insights. Over half of the book provides an array of strategies for increasing self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, and relationship management skills.
  • It’s a small reference book that I have highlighted, dog-eared, and put sticky notes in so that I can go back to key messages time and time again.

It’s a classic all-in-one toolkit for living and interacting better. I recommend this book to anyone who simply wants to get started on the path of improved relationships with self and others. It not only builds awareness, it also helps put it to practical use!

– Melissa Law