Want to make it big in your career? Bank on your emotional intelligence reserves

Gen Z are the new superheroes. Since the pandemic, they’ve had to take on several challenges at the personal and professional front. This young generation seems to have fought their way through the job market due to their adaptability and quick action.

To be able to manage these setbacks, one thing that may come handy for these young professionals is the understanding of emotional intelligence (EI). To be able to step up the corporate ladder, they are required to produce high performance by empathising with their peers and colleagues. Preparing students for these future trials, Apeejay Stya University (ASU), School of Education along with National Service Scheme (NSS) and Rotaract Club, hosted a webinar on – ‘Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Career and Leadership Development’, on August 25.

Moderated by ASU students Gargi Sharma and Pakhi Bindal, the session commenced with a welcome speech by Anand Pradhan, Head of Department, School of Education, Apeejay Stya University.

Pradhan thanked the Guest Speaker at the event, Dr. Bushra Khan, Professor, Leadership and Communication at Seneca College, Toronto, Canada for her presence. He further emphasised the role of different forms of intelligence in our day-to-day lives and how these shape up career and leadership.

Dr. Khan began the session by making students understand the meaning of EI. She explained it as the ‘ability to recognise our own feelings, labelling and communicating them effectively.’ By understanding how it could help young professionals further their career development and growth, she highlighted that successful leaders are high on emotional intelligence which enables them to motivate their team. According to her, “In every profession, EI is twice as important as technical skills and intelligence quotient (IQ).”

At the session, she supported her argument by explaining a theory by author and science journalist Daniel Goleman’s Model of Emotional Intelligence which is divided into: Empathy (understanding others’ feelings to make it a part of your decision-making process), social skills (how you can influence others), self-awareness (understanding your own strengths and growth areas), self-regulation (ability to control disruptive emotions) and motivation (the drive to achieve).

Dr. Khan conducted interactive activities for students by putting forward self-reflective statements for students to ponder upon their EI. By helping them identify their temperament which is marked by genetic inheritance, physical attributes, life experiences and environmental conditions, she asked students why they feel what they feel and how it impacts their career and leadership.

She concluded the session by advising students not to let people put them in boxes. Dr. Vijay Kumar, club coordinator, Rotaract Club, ASU and NSS thanked the guests of the day. The session ended with student Molina Kaul delivering a formal vote of thanks.