Emotional Intelligence and Fakery

Emotional Intelligence (EI, or EQ – Emotional Quotient) was been a consistent topic in leadership circles for 30 years, and it has been written about from the 1930s.

It is rare for a concept, theory or idea to remain at the forefront of organisational thinking for so long. One of the most well-known contributors to our understanding of EQ is Daniel Goleman, and his book Emotional Intelligence. Around the same time, Covey was publishing his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and he went on to relate the habits to Emotional Intelligence.

The idea behind EQ is that our ability to relate meaningfully with other people matters more than our IQ. The concept goes deeper than the usual set of good communication skills, and includes the ability to empathise, and to manage your own and others’ emotions.