How emotions they Affect Behavior and Relationships?

“The higher the rank of the person considered to be a star performer, the more emotional intelligence capabilities showed up as the reason for his or her effectiveness.”
Many organizations focus on cognitive intelligence or IQ as the primary factor in hiring and promoting. Research shows that this is the wrong approach. Goleman points out that, given the necessary amount of IQ to do any job, more cognitive intelligence doesn’t necessarily increase performance or land that sought-after promotion. Rather, the key ingredient for success is Emotional Intelligence (EI). This is particularly relevant to a lawyer’s ability to obtain a corporate or government promotion or to generate new business.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

EI is a set of emotional and social skills that affect our thoughts, interactions, coping strategies, motivations and general psychological well-being. It affects our behavior every second of our waking hours and controls our relationships with our family, business associates, partners and clients.
A unique and very important aspect of the EQ, is that it also reports a composite score for well-being and overall happiness. You have every right to be happy and the good thing is that you can learn to live a happier and more productive life.
Unlike your IQ (which is fixed at about age 17), EI can be trained (learned) and altered (increased or decreased). Yes, some people have too much of an EI element and that can lead to problems. For example, too much self-regard makes you look arrogant and full of yourself. Instead, a healthy dose of EI makes you confident, yet humble.

Get a Greater Return by Focusing on Your Emotional Intelligence Skills

Stop focusing on IQ and look at EI if you want to get ahead and succeed. IQ is static from about age 17, so reading more law books will not make you smarter. Learning more law in your practice area is great, but you might find that assessing and practicing your EI set of skills will provide a more immediate return both professionally and personally.
Greater emotional awareness and strength will make you more effective with your colleagues, clients, friends and family. You need to be attuned with your client’s emotions as well. For example, if the client is anxious about a project, you must be able to read that and respond accordingly. If you seem too relaxed when the client is anxious about an issue, you will look unconcerned.

How Can Emotional Intelligence Help Lawyers?

The areas where EI can improve the performance of lawyers is limitless. EI affects all behaviors and interactions and has been shown to be the most important differentiator between success and failure. Here are some of the key areas where EI can improve your performance:
 Greater Sales and Increased Revenues.
 Stronger and Effective Client Presentations and Interactions.
 Better Time Management.
 Strong Team Management Skills.
 Enhanced Connections to Firm Management and Other Partners.
 Ability to Stay Motivated and Keep Others Motivated.
 More Effective Problem Solving Skills.
 Enhanced Stress Management and Less Burnout.
 Better Hiring and Promotion Decisions.