Saturday 6 October 2012

Emotional Intelligence

Thorndike, Weschler, and Gardner etc. have all stressed the importance of non-intellective factors of our intelligence since almost a century now. We've even heard how about 75% of success is based on emotional intelligence in the professional world. We've read the theories on it (well some of us!). But so what? How have we ever tried to actively change, improve, or draw attention to our emotional intelligence? Its just something you dont do, you be. We think that we're all practicing self awareness on a daily basis, hence we must have intrapersonal intelligence. We think we're always trying to work with and influence others, so we must have interpersonal intelligence.
How often does one of us (one without an existential frame of mind) get up and say I'm feeling a little lost today, like I'm not aware of my emotions? Rarely. Yet this is something that can be so important on the path of success. If we don't know ourselves, how will we expect others to? And if all of us cant know each other, how will we work in teams? Or even groups?
It can become a vicious cycle, and all can be controlled with one small step- getting to know oneself.

Some of the exercises Anil Sir makes us do, in Sidbari, in class and elsewhere are more about self-discovery than anything else. He tries to catalyse the process of self-discovery and push us on the path of self-awareness. The more we try to think of how others in our lives impact us, the more we learn about who we are. The more we try to do appreciative inquiry with others, the more we learn about how things make us feel. The more we try to play someone's alter-ego, the more we learn about how our frame of mind, and our perspective or worldview taints/colors our understanding of what others say.

Its not an easy process, albeit a crucial one. While emotional intelligence has been one giant leap for mankind in terms of its impact on leadership and business, we took a small step towards it this week by plunging ourselves into self-discovery.

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