WoW and the Emotional Intelligence!
As you embarked on
your journey to becoming a Epic Guild Master, here is away to use Emotional
Intelligence in your guild leading!
What is Emotional Intelligence?
We all have different personalities,
different wants and needs, and different ways of showing our emotions.
Navigating through this all takes tact and cleverness – especially if we hope to
succeed in life. This is where emotional intelligence becomes
important.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your
emotions, understand what they’re telling you, and realize how your emotions
affect people around you. Emotional intelligence also involves your perception
of others: when you understand how they feel, this allows you to manage
relationships more effectively.
People with high emotional intelligence are
usually successful in most things they do. Why? Because they’re the ones that
others want on their team. When people with high EI send an email, it gets
answered. When they need help, they get it. Because they make others feel good,
they go through life much more easily than people who are easily angered or
upset.
Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence
components of Emotional Intelligence so that you can begin practicing it in your
day to day interactions with your guild.
- Self-Awareness – People with high emotional intelligence
are usually very self-aware. They understand their emotions, and because of
this, they don’t let their feelings rule them. They’re confident – because they
trust their intuition and don’t let their emotions get out of control.They’re also willing to take an honest look at themselves. They know
their strengths and weaknesses, and they work on these areas so they can perform
better. Many people believe that this self-awareness is the most important part
of emotional intelligence. - Self-Regulation – This is the ability to control emotions
and impulses. People who self-regulate typically don’t allow themselves to
become too angry or jealous, and they don’t make impulsive, careless decisions.
They think before they act. Characteristics of self-regulation are
thoughtfulness, comfort with change, integrity, and the ability to say no. - Motivation – People with a high degree of emotional
intelligence are usually motivated. They’re willing to defer immediate results
for long-term success. They’re highly productive, love a challenge, and are very
effective in whatever they do. - Empathy – This is perhaps the second-most important element
of emotional intelligence. Empathy is the ability to identify with and
understand the wants, needs, and viewpoints of those around you. People with
empathy are good at recognizing the feelings of others, even when those feelings
may not be obvious. As a result, empathetic people are usually excellent at
managing relationships, listening, and relating to others. They avoid
stereotyping and judging too quickly, and they live their lives in a very open,
honest way. - Social Skills – It’s usually easy to talk to and like
people with good social skills, another sign of high emotional intelligence.
Those with strong social skills are typically team players. Rather than focus on
their own success first, they help others develop and shine. They can manage
disputes, are excellent communicators, and are masters at building and
maintaining relationships.
As you’ve probably determined, emotional
intelligence can be a key to success in your life – especially in your guild.
The ability to manage people and relationships is very important in all leaders,
so developing and using your emotional intelligence can be a good way to show
others the leader inside of you.
How to Improve Your Emotional
Intelligence
The good news is that emotional intelligence CAN be taught and
developed. Many books and tests are available to help you determine your current
EI, and identify where you may need to do some work. You can also use these
tips:
- Observe how you react to people. Do you rush to judgment before you know all
of the facts? Do you stereotype? Look honestly at how you think and interact
with other people. Try to put yourself in their place, and be more open and
accepting of their perspectives and needs. - Look at your guild environment. Do you seek attention for your
accomplishments? Humility can be a wonderful quality, and it doesn’t mean that
you’re shy or lack self-confidence. When you practice humility, you say that you
know what you did, and you can be quietly confident about it. Give others a
chance to shine – put the focus on them, and don’t worry too much about getting
praise for yourself. - Do a self-evaluation. What are your weaknesses? Are you willing to accept
that you’re not perfect and that you could work on some areas to make yourself a
better person? Have the courage to look at yourself honestly – it can change
your life. - Examine how you react to stressful situations. Do you become upset every
time there’s a delay or something doesn’t happen the way you want? Do you blame
others or become angry at them, even when it’s not their fault? The ability to
stay calm and in control in difficult situations is highly valued – in the
business world and outside it. Keep your emotions under control when things go
wrong. - Take responsibility for your actions. If you hurt someone’s feelings,
apologize directly – don’t ignore what you did or avoid the person. People are
usually more willing to forgive and forget if you make an honest attempt to make
things right. - Examine how your actions will affect others – before you take those actions.
If your decision will impact others, put yourself in their place. How will they
feel if you do this? Would you want that experience? If you must take the
action, how can you help others deal with the effects?
WoW Chick 