Well, that’s sort of a trick question, isn’t it? I bet you already know that emotional intelligence is one of the key ingredients in better business relationships, smoother meetings, and higher morale.

Officially, emotional intelligence is defined as the capability to

• recognize your own emotions and those of others
• discern between different feelings and label them appropriately
• use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior
• manage emotions to adapt to environments or achieve goals

If you wish your C-suite would develop their emotional intelligence, here are four more reasons EQ is essential for success.

4 reasons why emotional intelligence is important in the workplace

1. Emotional intelligence can’t be outsourced to a robot or a factory

Many of the tasks performed by humans will be outsourced to artificial intelligence in the next decade. A line of code could replace three employees. A robot can complete things faster and more accurately than a human.

But AI can’t soothe a ruffled client after a missed deadline. A line of code can’t negotiate benefits or salaries. A robot doesn’t know when to leverage goodwill.

Soon, emotional intelligence will decide who has a job and who doesn’t. Simple as that.

2. Emotional intelligence is no longer a “soft skill” — it’s now an essential skill

For a long time, emotional intelligence was considered a “nice to have,” a lovely add-on valued well below technical skills or concrete knowledge of industry specifics.

It was most important that a team member understood a coding language or industry-specific bylaws. If they could read a room or hold a conversation, that was icing on the cake.

No longer. As our workspaces become more collaborative, these social skills are more important than ever. When a company is made up of people who are diplomatic, compassionate, and self-aware, everyone benefits — execs, team members, support staff, clients, and vendors.

3. The higher your EQ, the more likely you are to get hired + promoted

Obviously, right? Everything being equal, wouldn’t we all prefer to work with someone who can manage their emotions, respond well to feedback, respect and include others?

In a 2018 LinkedIn survey of 4,000 professionals everyone agreed: the number one priority for talent development is training for soft skills.

4. Skills related to emotional intelligence are the future

Software will update, programming languages die out, and social media platforms lose favor. Hard skills have a surprisingly short shelf life. But soft skills are always useful, regardless of what else is happening in the industry.

Training for soft skills will soften the impact of automation. Companies will always need people who communicate well, think critically, and can adapt to changes with ease.

Have we convinced you? If you’re curious about your emotional intelligence, click here to do a mini assessment of your own EQ. If there are leaders in your organization who could benefit from raising their EQ, let’s get connected.