According to Daniel Goleman , an American psychologist who helped to popularize emotional intelligence, there are five key elements to it:
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Social Skills
| Component | Definition | Indicators |
| Self-awareness | The ability to recognise and understand your moods, emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others | Self confidence. Realistic self-assessment. Self-depracating sense of humour |
| Self-regulation | The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods. The propensity to suspend judgement – to think before acting | Trustworthiness and integrity. Comfort with ambiguity. Openness to change |
| Motivation | A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status. A propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence | Strong drive to achieve . Optimism, even in the face of failure. Organisational commitment |
| Empathy | The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. Skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions. | Expertise in building and retaining talent. Cross-cultural sensitivity. Service to clients and customers |
| Social skills | Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks. An ability to find common ground and build rapport | Effectiveness in leading change. Persuasiveness. Expertise in building and leading teams |
