Emotional Intelligence

I definitely agree with Sahar that a high level of emotional intelligence is achieved through experience rather than academic teaching. Even though academic teaching can increase one's knowledge of emotional intelligence, but knowledge is just the first step in the process of change. These experiences start at a very young age starting with parents’ upbringing followed by the societal role. For instance, among children, we can clearly differentiate between those with a high level of emotional intelligence from those who may need more experience in the area. The more challenges one experience in his or her life, the higher his or her level of emotional intelligence. Therefore, emotional intelligence is probably influenced both by genetic factors and environmental factors. Similarly, interactions with diverse groups of people allow for a better understanding of people's way of life, which may be very different from our own. A leader with a high level of emotional intelligence is able to relate to each member of the group and make them feel more part of the team. 

Emotional Creatures

Much of what we do in terms of academic pursuits and other areas is an attempt to learn more about ourselves. Sometimes we diverge a little to learn about the world or the universe in which we live, but most of it is usually done with the ultimate goal of figuring out how we, as human beings, fit into this picture. As a result many issues and discussions arise: How are we, as human beings, going to stop climate change? save a species from extinction? control forest fires? How is our species going to save the world? As a child I often thought, well why are humans necessarily going to be the ones to save the world? Maybe the orca whales will find a solution first that'll be bigger and better than anything we have ever imagined! You may call me naive, but I honestly used to think that (and I used to - and still do - have an odd reverence for orca whales). 

Why is it that we think that we're the ones with the solutions to the 'problems' that surround us? Why is it that we think we have the authority to even label these changes as 'problems'? And ultimately, what is it that sets us apart from all the other living creatures on this planet? 
I'm not sure whether there is one specific answer to this question; I guess it depends on the perspective you take, whether it is biological, psychological, etc. However, I think that one answer is the concept of Emotional Intelligence, or maturity. 


I'm not saying that species other than our own are unable to be emotionally intelligent; in fact, most other species have a very deep sense of emotional intelligence and are very attuned to the feelings and well-being of their peers. However, the difference lies in how we deal with unexpected circumstances. Human beings can utilize their emotional intelligence to respond to these situations using methods apart from animal instincts.


Therefore, emotional intelligence, to me, is best portrayed through one's ability to be flexible and adaptable in the face of new and different circumstances. It is that element of 'improvisation' when dealing with people, situations, and other aspects that some consider challenges, but that people with high emotional intelligence see as being part of their routine. Whether it is the example of the botched presentation given in the article or an unexpected complication, an emotionally intelligent individual is able modify their approach in dealing with the situation at hand.




I was part of a workshop a couple years ago on Leadership, and the presenter was talking to us about ‘styles of leadership’. They listed a few styles that are associated with the level of freedom that a leader would accord to their followers. In my opinion, this was too scientific of a manner of trying to teach leadership. Perhaps it was necessary at the time so that we could have some tools to reflect on if ever we were met with an unforeseen circumstance so that we could attempt to make a proper decision. However, I think that an emotionally intelligent leader is one who doesn't need to reflect on all of these intricacies; making these decisions, transforming and modifying their approach, comes naturally to them. It's not an academic concept, despite the fact that we've had to do readings on it; rather, it's an experiential concept that can only be developed through practice overtime.

Through this internship, I have been exposed to a new culture, a new language, a new lifestyle. Though I am somewhat familiar with certain aspects of the culture, there are other aspects that are completely foreign to me, particularly the language. In dealing with people in my workplace who have no (or limited) knowledge of English, I have to be very perceptive and ‘emotionally intelligent’ in dealing with them, paying attention to body language, tone, and other tools apart from spoken language.

Additionally, emotional intelligence, or maturity, though discussed here in the context of leadership, applies to every aspect of our lives and the way we constantly deal with situation that we are presented with.

Self-Reflection

Hi Cohort!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their experiences so far!

This activity was definitely eye-opening. If I had to choose my 'personality type' by simply looking at the words, I think I might have chosen something a little different for myself...which got me thinking...
This is what my result showed after completing the online questionnaire:

My results indicate that I think and reflect before I act, something that I definitely agree with; however, I have also noticed that over the past little while, I have been trying to act, rather than to think too much about things. I guess that I noticed that I was too much of a thinker, which was inhibiting me from actually making a decision. I'm trying now, especially since I'm having such a different experience with new people in new places, to just 'say yes' and to try things and join organizations and just immerse myself in the happenings of this community as much as possible. It was great to be reminded of this through this test.

Furthermore, these results indicate that I prefer one-to-one communication and relationships, an aspect with which I definitely agree. I find that one-on-one discussions allow me to get to know the other person much better without the distractions of a group. When more people are present, the attention that would be accorded to an individual becomes less and the conversation becomes one of breadth rather than depth (just my opinion). 

Additionally, although the S is highlighted, the numbers indicate a 50-50 split between intuitive and sensing. I'd like to think that rather than this describing me as a confused person, it describes me as a balanced person, but who knows... I read a few publications about this test, to understand how it really works. This result refers to many aspects: mental presence, instincts, memory, and data reception. In terms of mental presence, a sensing person tends to live in the 'now' while an intuitive person tends to live in the future. I think my initial discussion above reflects how this result may have come about. In terms of instincts, a sensing person uses more common sense and creates practical solutions based mostly on past experience, while an intuitive person uses imagination in creating new possibilities based mostly on theoretical understanding. Again, I think my discussion above may provide insight into this split result. This  ability to be able to create and invent new possibilities that are still pragmatic is one that I definitely have not yet mastered, but one that I hope to be able to cultivate throughout my experiences.  It's something that I think will be very important during my internship as a lot of the work that I have been assigned is related to laying down building blocks for the institution so that it may achieve its potential over time. This work is also being done in a place, culture, and socio-economic situation that I am unfamiliar with; therefore, though I may be able to look to western institutions for guidance in creating policies for the hospital, ultimately, I am dealing with a completely different set of guidelines that will require some innovation to handle. 

The third result indicates that I am much more feeling than I am thinking. It sounds a little weird to me when phrased in this manner. This was a particular point on which I think I might have to disagree. Though there are certain aspects of a feeling person that I think I align with, their are others that I don't identify with at all. A feeling person is described as one who employ personal feelings and impact on people in the decision making process. They are naturally sensitive to people's needs and reactions. I think that this describes me pretty well. Where I object is in the description that a sensing person is unsettled by conflict, has an almost distoxic reaction to disharmony, and seeks consensus and popular opinion. I don't think that I often seek a consensus. In fact, I value disharmony more I think, as it demonstrates that every individual, or groups of individuals are different and unique in their situations and therefore in their needs. I think that conflict is a very healthy thing, and I think that I would be concerned if conflict didn't exist.

Finally, these results indicate that I am overwhelmingly 'perceiving' over 'judging'. I think this describes me very well. I like to be flexible and I like variety. Sometimes this works to my detriment because I spread myself out too thin, or I become good at many things, but not excellent at one thing. I think there are advantages to both, but there are also disadvantages to both. I am comfortable moving into action without a plan, improvising as I go. I hope to be able to harness that ease as I progress through this internship as there are a lot of little things that need to be done in very different areas, as well as some substantial projects with fast-approaching deadlines. 

To be quite honest, having completed this survey and looking over the results and what they mean, I don't really understand the purpose of identifying your personality (perhaps some of you can help me in this matter). Is the goal to strive for balance, or to somehow work to changing these results? Is it just so that you can be aware of yourself and the decisions you make? If that's the case, why does it matter? Why should you have to think about who you are in every decision that you make?  It almost seems counter-intuitive, in my opinion, to have to label your personality, to have some analysts tell you what that means, rather than being able to simply live the way you feel is right in that moment. I guess this is the feeling/intuitive side of me speaking. 

I look forward to reading about all of your results, and future posts!!

S

Myers-Briggs Test

My result from Myers Briggs Test is INFJ:

Introverted (I) 57%	Extraverted (E) 43%
Intuitive (N) 59%	Sensing (S) 41%
Feeling (F) 75%	Thinking (T) 25%
Judging (J) 77%	Perceiving (P) 23%

The result was accurate based on my life experiences. I do not restrict myself from interacting with others, however, it does require an active effort. The level of effort does change based on the settings, personal vs. professional.  The second result illustrated that I am mostly intuitive, more abstract than concrete. Additionally, suggesting that I focus on the bigger picture instead of focusing on the details, and value the future outcomes over the present ones. This one was contrary to some of my previous experiences because usually I tend to be more detail orientated, to the point that I have to remind myself of the overall goals to refocus my thoughts and efforts, and not get lost in the minute details. The third result shows a 75% more likely to use the feeling as compared to thinking. This means that I value personal consideration above objective criteria. I felt this was accurate because I usually do not like living by the book, or treating every situation similarly. The last result shows that I am more likely to plan ahead to have a sense of control instead of making last minute decisions, which is quite accurate because last minute decisions make me more stressed.