Answer: According to Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to recognise, understand, manage, and influence one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others.

Various aspect of life require different resources for cultivating emotional intelligence

Personal Life:

• Self-Awareness: Regular self-reflection and mindfulness to understand emotions and triggers.
• Self-Management: Stress-management techniques and emotional regulation.
• Emotional Resilience: Learn from failures, approach challenges with a growth mindset, practice empathy and active listening.

Professional Life:

• Social Awareness: Recognize emotions and needs of colleagues, address conflicts constructively.
• Relationship Management: Build trust, encourage teamwork, resolve disputes calmly.
• Communication Skills: Develop clear communication, show empathy, and listen actively.

Public Life (Bureaucracy and Civil Services):

• Leadership and Decision-Making: Make empathetic, rational decisions balancing efficiency and fairness.
• Public Engagement: Practice active listening, foster trust, remain calm under pressure.
• Conflict Resolution: Manage disputes, promote collaboration, understand multiple perspectives.

Aspect of emotional intelligence

• Emotional intelligence helps align actions with ethical values, as seen in a whistleblower exposing wrongdoing.
• It prevents impulsive decisions by regulating emotions, like a lawyer staying calm under pressure to make objective legal choices.
• Empathy ensures fairness and considers others’ well-being, as demonstrated by a business owner offering support during layoffs.

Ethical leadership fosters trust and transparency, as seen in a CEO prioritizing employee welfare and company integrity.

Examples: –

Professional Life:

• A leader resolves a conflict between team members by actively listening to both sides and fostering a collaborative solution, maintaining fairness and respect.
• A human resources manager handles a sensitive workplace issue, such as harassment, with empathy, ensuring both the victim’s and the accused’s rights are considered.

Public Life:

• A social worker, recognizing the emotional trauma of a family in crisis, provides support and resources while making ethical decisions on their behalf.
• A nonprofit director chooses to allocate funds to a high-need community despite pressure from donors, guided by a moral obligation to serve the vulnerable.

Political Life:

• A politician negotiates a peace agreement by understanding the emotional stakes of all parties, ensuring a solution that considers long-term harmony and justice.
• During a national disaster, a political leader shows empathy for affected citizens, prioritizing relief efforts and making ethical decisions to protect human life over political gains.

Emotional intelligence enables individuals to make informed, fair, and responsible choices, ultimately benefiting both themselves and others, as Daniel Goleman states, “Emotional intelligence is the ability to make your emotions work for you instead of against you.”