Emotional Intelligence

4.1 Origins and Definition

Peter Salovey and John Mayer (1990) first formally defined Emotional Intelligence (EI) in their academic paper "Emotional Intelligence" (Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 1990) as:

"The ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions."

They later refined EI into a 4-Branch Ability Model (Mayer, Salovey & Caruso, 2004):

1. Perceiving emotions: Recognising emotions in faces, voices, images
2. Using emotions: Harnessing emotions to facilitate thought and creativity
3. Understanding emotions: Comprehending emotional vocabulary and how emotions evolve
4. Managing emotions: Regulating emotions in self and others

4.2 Goleman's Popularisation (1995)

Daniel Goleman, in his bestselling book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995), proposed a 5-component framework that became widely adopted in management and education:

Component	Description	Example
Self-Awareness	Knowing one's emotions and their effects	Recognising personal biases during a decision
Self-Regulation	Controlling disruptive emotions; impulse control	Not reacting angrily to criticism
Motivation	Inner drive to achieve goals beyond money/status	Pursuing excellence despite setbacks
Empathy	Understanding others' emotional states	Sensing a team member's hidden stress
Social Skills	Managing relationships and building networks	Influencing without authority

Goleman (1998) argued in Working with Emotional Intelligence that EI accounts for 67% of the abilities needed for superior performance in leaders — more than IQ or technical skills. This finding influenced leadership selection globally.

4.3 The Bar-On Model

Reuven Bar-On (1997) developed the EQ-i (Emotional Quotient Inventory) — the first validated EI assessment tool — and proposed an 15-component model grouping into 5 areas: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Stress Management, Adaptability, and General Mood. Bar-On coined the term "EQ" (Emotional Quotient).

4.4 EI in the Indian Administrative Context

For an IAS/RAS officer, EI is directly relevant:

• Self-regulation: Maintaining composure during crisis management (e.g., drought relief coordination)
• Empathy: Understanding grievances of marginalised communities (tribals, rural women)
• Social skills: Building consensus among diverse political and bureaucratic stakeholders
• Self-awareness: Recognising one's own caste/class biases in policy implementation

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