Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (2009) gives you expert insight into which skills you need to read others and build better relationships. It breaks down the four aspects of emotional intelligence, or EQ, and gives advice on what you can do to improve your own skills.
Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves have written several award-winning books, such as The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book and Leadership 2.0. They're also the founders of TalentSmart, an international consultancy for emotional intelligence training in business.
Upgrade to Premium now and get unlimited access to the Blinkist library. Read or listen to key insights from the world’s best nonfiction.
Upgrade to PremiumThe Blinkist app gives you the key ideas from a bestselling nonfiction book in just 15 minutes. Available in bitesize text and audio, the app makes it easier than ever to find time to read.
Start free trialGet unlimited access to the most important ideas in business, investing, marketing, psychology, politics, and more. Stay ahead of the curve with recommended reading lists curated by experts.
Start free trialEmotional Intelligence 2.0 (2009) gives you expert insight into which skills you need to read others and build better relationships. It breaks down the four aspects of emotional intelligence, or EQ, and gives advice on what you can do to improve your own skills.
Some people are uncommonly good at reading body language, able to judge at a glance what someone is thinking – and respond accordingly. They can calm a coworker who’s angry, or reassure a friend who’s anxious.
Why are certain people so good at this? The answer has to do with emotional intelligence, or EQ.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand your own feelings and the feelings of others, and influence those feelings to your advantage. A person who's good at “reading” people has high emotional intelligence.
EQ combines four different elements.
The first is self-awareness, or the ability to understand your own feelings and behaviors.
The second is self-management. Self-management is about keeping yourself in situations in which you know you'll be able to behave correctly.
The third is social awareness. Once you know how to manage your behavior and understand your feelings, you'll know how to read the emotions of others. You'll understand what makes people feel angry, sad or excited, and you'll be able to better read body language.
The fourth and final element is relationship management. Understanding your own behavior and the behavior of others around you enables you to build stronger relationships with the important people in your life.
For example, if you know that one of your coworkers gets upset when he's criticized, you'll know how to give feedback to which he'll be able to respond more effectively.
Let’s look closer at the four elements of emotional intelligence. Read on!