Correlation between Emotional Intelligence and Career Success

This essay analyzes the correlation between emotional intelligence and career success. It explores how emotional intelligence affects self-awareness, self-motivation, mentoring, and the biopsychosocial model. The essay emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in achieving career success.

Correlation between emotional intelligence and career success
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Introduction
Emotional intelligence is the ability by an individual to be aware, control and express ones
feelings and to grasp interpersonal relationships in a judicious and empathetic manner. There has
been an ongoing debate as to whether emotional intelligence is directly correlated with career
success or not. However, majority of studies argue that Emotional intelligence optimizes success
at any organization (Rode, Arthaud-Day, Ramaswami, & Culbertson, 2016, p. 1151). Employees
should therefore seek individuals who are emotional intelligent to fill up any vacant position at
their organizations. Within the framework of this essay, there will be an analysis of the
correlation between emotional intelligence and career success.
Discussion
Emotional intelligence leads to Self-awareness. According to a study by Ahmad, Seleim, Bontis,
& Mostapha in 2017, self-awareness is one of the essential components of career success
(Ahmad, Seleim, Bontis, & Mostapha, 2017, p. 165). The study defines self-awareness as the
ability to recognize, comprehend how ones feelings affect his/her interaction with others as well
as his/her emotional state. However, this is only possible if an individual is conscious of his/her
emotional state that can be quite challenging for different reasons. First one has to be aware that
emotions vary from time to time and secondly, it is important for an individual to be aware that
he/she might experience different emotions at once. Furthermore, the study argue that some
individuals tend to be in denial of feelings like anger and fear because they expose their
weaknesses (Mohamad & Jais, 2016, p. 679). Such feelings affect career success as indicated in
the study. It is only an individual with emotional intelligence that can acknowledge and bridge
this facts for career success. Therefore, Self-awareness can only be achieved if an individual has
emotional intelligence that recognize what is good or bad for his and other people’s emotions

and this implies that emotional intelligence is directly related to self-awareness which is essential
or contributes to career success.
Self-motivation
Self-motivation is a key component of emotional intelligence that is on many occasions
overlooked. Motivation is one of the many factors that contribute to career success. Self-
motivation according to Crowne et al is not all about just waking up daily or showing up at work
(Crowne et al., 2017, p. 222). It constitutes our reasons for doing certain things. Self-motivation
according to the study ought to have a deeper meaning, commitment to an individual and others
on a journey that will make it worthy. This is now where emotional intelligence plays a key role.
In as much as some individuals can be motivated, very few comprehend the other essential
components of emotional intelligence like empathy and self-awareness. Self-motivation
according to studies begins by an individual being clear on what they want to achieve (Marembo,
Chinyamurindi, & Mjoli, 2018, p. 408). However, the goal should be clear about what it implies
to them and those around them. Recognizing this fact is impossible without emotional
intelligence. In order to motivate others as well, one ought to have integrity and be optimistic in
sharing positive energy with others. This means an influential motivator should have emotional
intelligent to accomplish the above stated conditions. Success is only possible if an individual
and those around them are motivated. However, motivation is only possible through emotional
intelligence since it involves understanding what the set objective also means to those people
around them. Therefore, self-motivation and emotional intelligence go hand in hand and together
contributes to career success of any individual.
Mentoring and Emotional intelligence are directly to one another. Mentoring is defined as the
process where an individual talks about his/her knowledge, skills as well as experience to assist

others make significant progress in their lives and careers. Mentoring, according to a study by
Hubscher-Davidson in 2016, contributes to career success with results from the survey indicating
that 85% of those individuals whose careers are a success have gone through sessions of
mentoring (Hubscher-Davidson, 2016, p. 142). Emotional intelligence plays a key role in the
mentoring process. The whole mentoring process necessitates one to be aware of how they react
in different situations. The mentor in most cases is expected to be calm. This basically implies
that one has to control emotions of both the mentor and mentee. In so doing, the mentor has
demonstrate empathy. All this is only possible with emotional intelligence.
Biopsychosocial model and emotional intelligence.
Biopsychosocial model is a branch of psychology that describes how biological, psychological
and social factors interact to influence the behavior of an individual. Some of the biological
factors include genes, exercise, sleep and diet. The psychological factors on the other hand
include emotions, beliefs, habits, knowledge, memories, stress and perspectives (Jameson,
Carthy, McGuinness, & McSweeney, 2016, p. 518). Finally, the social factors include family,
relationships, society and politics and finally education. Studies elaborate that in one’s career,
he/she has to integrate all the biopsychosocial factors and make them work in harmony for career
success. However, this is not an easy task. One has to be very emotionally strong. He/she has to
have emotional intelligent to comprehend their environment and the emotions or feelings of
those around them (Jiang, 2016, p. 42). Emotional intelligence therefore, according to studies
makes it easier for individuals to integrate different factors important for career success. Without
emotional intelligence, it would be very difficult for one to succeed in his/her career.
Conclusion

Emotional intelligence optimizes career success. An individual with emotional intelligence has
the ability to understand emotions or factors that affect him/her and those around them.
Furthermore, they can emotionally mentor, motivate themselves and others are aware of
whatever affects them (Self-awareness). Since majority of studies agree that emotional
intelligence is directly correlated with career success, employees seeking individuals to fill up
vacant positions should therefore look out for those with emotional intelligence.
References

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