You Can Increase Your Emotional Inteligence

Increase your emotional intelligence:
While some people think EQ is simply leadership 'skill' or the ability to motivate people, here are some simple tips for increasing your EQ:
EQ increases with age because it's about understanding what makes people tick, and that comes from experience. But many experienced leaders have low EQ. Good listening skills, and ability to 'get over yourself' and see the world from others' viewpoints are key to establishing this skill.
Self-awareness, optimism and tolerance can all increase your EQ. If you understand how others see you, you'll be better able to improve the flaws in your teaching, communicating, and persuading ability. Optimism is infectious, and cynicism may be clever and justified but after awhile it's tiring and needlessly saps energy. And the most important tolerance is tolerance of failure, without which we can't really learn.
Making your point factually and dispassionately is usually the best way. Unsubstantiated remarks will come back to haunt you, and the euphoria of a powerful emotional pitch rarely lasts long enough to get something done.
High EQ requires that you genuinely care about, and be interested in, other people. If you lack that, and try to fake it, people will see right through you. Don't try to be what you're not.
People with high EQ have developed a knack for reading between the lines, paying attention to body language, and appreciating that what is said is not necessarily what is meant.
Cult leaders and psychopaths often have developed very high EQ. Emotional intelligence, if abused, can be terribly destructive. A good leader must have the courage to challenge old ideas and assumptions, to take unpopular steps, even if that boldness undermines some of the positive effects of their empathy.
One of the neatest things about EQ is that it is not static and anyone can start at any point in life and increase his or her EQ.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD