Emotional Intelligence, is it the missing link?

We are at the beginning of a year that will see the most influential black man of our time, take centre stage. The question I ask myself is how he propelled himself to the front of the queue when many of us are struggling to achieve the personal rewards that are assumed to be available to all in an affluent society?

Could it be that our efforts are not balanced that in addition to hard work, natural talent, ambition, academic achievement and spirituality there is another factor that we have not thus far taken into account on mass? Could it be that like Jesus’s disciples who were fishing all night and did not catch any fish that we need to cast our nets on another side of the boat, in order to turn individual achievements from being exceptions, to abundance for those who try, becoming the norm? Discussions that I have had with several people leading up to the New Year keeps touching on the concept of emotional intelligence.

Daniel Goleman gives an indication of what I mean by emotional intelligence. He identifies:-

• Self-awareness — the ability to read one's emotions and recognize their impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
  


• 
  
  Self management - Controlling one's emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
  


• Social awareness — the ability to sense, understand, and react to others' emotions while comprehending social networks.
  

Traditionally ‘we’ (peoples originating from Africa) give greater emphasis to academic achievement, hard work, the development of our talents and the status we would like to attain, than to considering the feelings and viewpoints of others. The truth is that we are the centre of our own worlds and no-one else’s. This is, I believe an important recognition to make if we are to develop a common understanding of how we can evolve the defensive mechanisms that have protected us for generations into an emotional awareness that will serve us in the 21st century.

Obama used this underlying principle to turn the tables on ‘near’ history. In his book the Audacity of Hope, he describes the mutual regard for others as being rooted in honesty, fairness, humility, kindness, courtesy and compassion. Obama is the President-elect because his message appealed across the board. Before we test any new skills sets in the outside world we perhaps need to begin by showing a mutual regard for ourselves and the people closest to us.

Stand up and be counted

Do you believe that developing emotional intelligence is a significant factor for sustained progress and if so, what are the key issues that the community needs to address?

This is the first of a series of blogs on emotional intelligence as it relates to peoples of African origin. The objective is to debate the issues in order to develop a community lead understanding of what it means and how we can apply it to our lives, so that by metaphorically casting our fishing nets on the other side of the boat, we can turn the tide. Don’t hold back, (you could deprive us of insight, a gem or a laugh), so share your thoughts and experiences even if you do it anonymously.

If you are in two minds about contributing, listen to this amazing speech on Dr Martin Luther King Junior by Gerra Gistrand, MLK Oratory Winner, and realise, yes you can.