Real-Life Examples of How Emotional Intelligence is Used in Business

Understanding and regulating our emotions enables us to connect with others authentically and empathetically

We are imperfect humans that, most of the time, run on autopilot unless we intentionally choose to become aware so we can intentionally self-regulate ourselves and not only help ourselves to live in well-being and thrive, but we can also impact and serve others, especially when we are leading groups of people. Workplaces are the ideal places to develop, practice, and cultivate emotional intelligence because it is through daily experiences that we build the muscle to navigate emotions, feelings, and thoughts most consciously. Still, it is a choice that, if not done on purpose, we simply run into automatically manifesting our inner wounds and inability to observe ourselves and others without judgment.

From my experience in various cultural and professional settings, I’ve noticed a common challenge in our ability to recognize and understand our own internal dynamics. It’s essential to have self-awareness in order to identify and influence the behaviors of others.

Let us understand something: our behaviors show us and others our beliefs, patterns, and habits. These subconscious mind programs came to be just by absorbing information from our environment. Unless we face conflicting and painful situations, we rarely stop to reflect and observe ourselves, and when we do, we usually want quick fixes because we do not have time to go deep. In reality, we are not willing to look and do the work.

Emotional intelligence is not something that can be acquired simply by reading a book or attending a single workshop or conference. It is a daily practice that involves peeling away layers of conditioning from the subconscious mind.

Emotions are messages that cannot be taken superficially only to get by another day. Emotions to me are messages from our Soul that make continuous attempts to get our attention so it can show us the way, and I would like to clarify that the Soul to me is a field of awareness, and we are a fractal of it, thus, when we choose to go in, we are allowing our innate intelligence to show us beyond what our rational mind can see. Emotions carry important messages that deserve our sincere attention, providing insights that our rational mind may overlook. Achieving emotional intelligence requires us to integrate these insights genuinely and approach situations with a neutral mind, which is a conscious choice.

With a neutral mind, we can integrate our emotional intelligence most authentically, so it becomes second nature. However, neutrality is something that we can only bring to our life experience intentionally.

Our subconscious mind, one of the two spheres of the mind, influences us 95% of the time and gets active automatically when we open our eyes every day. We should get in the habit of asking ourselves a few times during the day, what program is running now?

Modern neuroscience views emotions as energy in motion and as chemicals produced by the brain. These chemicals carry emotional information and affect our organs and systems, influencing how we feel and behave. Emotions, in combination with thoughts, create an electromagnetic field that not only impacts us but also our environment. These chemicals are transmitted to organs and systems in our organism through the cells, and they hold emotional information; this is why when we are experiencing judgment, our heart closes, or when we are experiencing sadness, we feel lethargic, slow, and heavy. Emotions are contagious and magnetic and, with the help of thoughts, create an electromagnetic field that informs us and our environment. Thoughts are the electric charge, and emotions are the magnetic charge.

By understanding the influence of our subconscious programs, we can comprehend why we may struggle to provide constructive feedback or offer support to stressed colleagues. Our beliefs and past experiences may influence our ability to address conflicts or stay calm under pressure. This lack of empathy and understanding can hinder our ability to be effective leaders and collaborators. Resolving conflicts by understanding the emotions involved and addressing the root causes is simply not available to us because we are in the habit of rationalizing everything. The rational mind does not know how to be empathic because we have separated our hearts from our minds. It may be challenging to stay calm and productive under pressure because we hold a wound that has not been healed, and we are not willing, or we are totally unaware of the impact of the wound. We cannot listen attentively, ask thoughtful questions, and refrain from interrupting because we lack empathy to better understand the team’s needs and motivations.

We might have learned that leaders simply say the last word and that feelings and emotions are irrelevant to the professional environment, so we expect people to mechanically do their job and then we wonder why we are not reaching goals that require motivation, passion, joy.

In summary

In summary, integrating emotional intelligence into our professional lives involves acknowledging and addressing our internal barriers and biases. It requires a deliberate effort to understand and regulate our emotions in a way that enables us to connect with others authentically and empathetically. In my daily practice, I have discovered that when we rely solely on our rational mind to handle emotions, we limit our access to our highest potential. This potential is only unlocked when we learn to connect with our heart and Superior Mind, free from conditioning, limitations, and fear.

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Emotional Intelligence and Stoicism in Careers and Life- Part 4 [Video]

Author: Dr. Monica Coronel holds a Ph.D. in Business with a specialization in Emotional Intelligence. She is a passionate speaker, writer, and EI facilitator who enjoys sharing her expertise with others. Dr. Coronel believes that her purpose in life is to help individuals rediscover their true selves and find their life’s purpose. She sees herself as a spiritual being with a mission to guide and assist others. Additionally, Dr. Coronel has created a toolbox called “1 Minute of Self-Reflection” which is based on principles of emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and neuroscience.