Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage the emotions of others and that of yourself without conflicting or acting out of character. It takes a high level of self-awareness to exude signs of emotional intelligence when dealing with others at work, home, and family.

If you struggling with building emotional intelligence, then we’ve got you! In this article, you will gain insights into signs of emotional intelligence and how to develop emotional intelligence for  a smooth interpersonal relationship with others.

Also Read: Ways To Increase Efficiency In The Workplace

Signs of Emotional Intelligence

Follow these guidelines to discover if you exhibit signs of emotional intelligence in your dealings with people and how to develop emotional intelligence to become the kind of person people would like to interact with:

You Have A Sense Of Self-awareness

Self-awareness is knowing how your actions can affect people positively or negatively. It is also about understanding yourself; the strength you exude, your weaknesses, and the ability to apologize when you are wrong or your actions negatively affect others.

As a sign of emotional intelligence, self-awareness helps you to understand that no two people are the same, hence, there is a need to extend grace to people and listen actively.

A self-aware person has a strong sense of leadership, not just leading people but leading himself/herself and also creating a comfortable environment for others.

Ability To Embrace Change

One of the signs of emotional intelligence that proves that you are not just intellectually smart but are in tune with your emotions is the ability to embrace change. People change, places change, economic change, and the only constant thing as far as life is concerned is change.

Therefore, as a highly emotionally intelligent person, you are expected to adjust to fit into the current situation and restrategize on how to navigate the change without drowning.

For instance, if you work in a corporation and there is a change in the management, you must tune in your emotions to fit the expectations of the new management instead of going all day distributing unnecessary complaints.

You Have Control Over Your Feelings

It is okay to feel how you feel but what is not okay is letting your feelings get a better part of you and cause you to act in a certain way. The ability to control your feelings and thoughts is one of the signs of emotional intelligence and a sign that you can manage yourself and prove that you are fit to manage others.

Do not let your emotions get over the wheel, make a conscious effort to always have your feelings in check.

You Are Empathetic

One of the signs of emotional intelligence is being empathetic towards others. Imagine a scenario where a co-worker is informing you about a sick child and your response is “It’s not that serious”, hold on, you are being emotionally unintelligent.

Sometimes, you do not even need to have the experience of others to be able to feel what they feel or understand the depth of their struggles. 

Telling someone who just lost a job to start a business maybe considered as being emotional unintelligent.  All that may need to be said at that moment are words of encouragement and maybe total silence.

Gratefulness

You are emotionally intelligence if you are grateful for little things and excited about the future. Sometimes, you may not be as you had envisioned, however, recognize how blessed you are at the moment and appreciate the little things you have achieved.

Gratefulness is also a mirror to see the good in other people and appreciate the efforts no matter how little it may seem.

Being grateful will help you appreciate the little efforts you are partner is putting in to help you create a healthy work-life balance.

 Gratefulness will also help you appreciate the efforts your co-workers, colleagues, and assistants are putting in to help you achieve your goals at work.

Open To Feedback

You are emotionally intelligent when you do not internalize feedback or perceive feedback as hate speech. It is important to receive feedback with grace and also encourage other people to share their grievances as observations with you.

Not only will it help you become self-aware but improve your interpersonal relationship with others to boost leadership skills.

You Are Thoughtful

Another sign of being emotionally intelligent is that you are thoughtful toward others and considerate. Being thoughtful is to think of others most compassionately and lovingly. It shows that you care about them and always look out for their best interest.

For example, preparing a meal for your partner who works 9-5 may be considered a thoughtful thing to do. Likewise having a conversation with a co-worker who is lagging in recent times may also be considered thoughtful.

You Give As Much As You Take

Some people do not have the gift of giving no matter how much they earn. While some consider giving as an act for only the rich.

If you want to demonstrate signs of emotional intelligence. You should be able to give to others as much as you take from them. Is your friend assuming a new role? Send her a flower or even a note. How about special occasions like birthdays, housewarming bridal showers, weddings, etc?  Send them thoughtful gifts to show that you care and celebrate their major milestone.

How To Become Emotional Intelligent

If there are no traces of signs of emotional intelligence in your dealings with people. Then this is your cue to take emotional intelligence seriously and follow these guides to become a highly emotionally intelligent person.

Exposure

You have to find means to get exposed to new environments and new people if you want to develop emotional intelligence. Being exposed to new ways of doing things other than what you are familiar with is one of the best ways to unlearn toxic and barbaric habits that have hampered your emotional growth.

Thanks to new technology and the new media, you may not have to travel to experience exposure. You develop emotional intelligence by reading books, watching documentaries, watching movies. That promote critical thinking, and also by interacting with people on the internet.

Active Listening

Another way to develop emotional intelligence is by practicing active listening when interacting with people. A lot of times, we often mistake hearing with listening. Do not just listen to respond rather, listen to comprehend the points and arguments that have been raised so you can answer effectively.

And when people notice that you are a great listener. They will be encouraged to want to have a conversation with you about certain things they may feel odd about it.

Don’t Be Defensive

As we have stated, it is important to not develop the habit of being defensive when you are given feedback. When someone shares feedback with you. Focus on working on the negative perception. Instead of being defensive by making excuses as to why you act in that matter.

You are only hampering your growth by avoiding taking accountability and responsibility for your saucy attitude.

Maintain Positive Energy

The ugly truth is that everyone has one or two things they are dealing with internally. So it is pertinent to not wear your emotions on your sleeves.

No matter what the matter may be, try as much as possible to exude positive energy and light up the room with your charisma and aura.

Do not go about transferring aggression or distributing negative energy where is not needed. Because not only will you be considered a negative person but people will be avoiding you like the plague.

Accept Criticism

Nobody is above mistakes neither is anybody an island. It is important to understand that no matter how knowledgeable and careful you may be, it is inevitable to make mistakes. When this happens, be open to accepting criticism graciously and learn from the feedback. 

Be A People’s person

Don’t get this wrong, this does not imply being a people pleaser but being a person that people feel comfortable around.

Being a people person means that you accommodate people from all walks of life. Irrespective of their background and qualifications, and in return, these people are also comfortable around you.

It also means that you are easygoing and fun to be around. If you have been a loner all your life or grew up in a family that did not encourage socialization. It is advisable to get help on how to get along with people in your personal and professional life.

Be Patient

If you are just learning about developing emotional intelligence. And how to demonstrate signs of emotional intelligence when interacting with people. Be patient with yourself as these changes take time.

The fact that you have come this far is a testament to your desire to grow and improve, so be patient and take it one feedback and a time.

Conclusion

Dealing with people from all walks of life does not only require having a leadership MBA from Harvard. But also knowing how to interact with people in such a way that they feel included and acknowledged. Hence, it is important to consciously make efforts to exude signs of emotional intelligence in your interpersonal relationships. We believe that these tips on how to develop emotional intelligence are insightful enough to help you grow emotionally.