Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman  provides a guidebook for keeping emotions in check at work and allowing yourself to stay employed.  Emotional outbursts at work due to frustration can cost people their careers.   He describes five basic skills needed to be successful. 

1. Self awareness - know yourself to keep in tune with your values
2. Manage emotions in situations where there is fear or frustration
3. Motivation: Can you stick to a task and push past points of frustrations when things do not go well.
4. Possess empathy and understand what a person is feeling without them verbally expressing an emotion
5. Social skills - handling yourself in social relationships.

Unlike IQ which is a bit more static.  Emotional intelligence can improve with age and experience.  It is often a better indicator of performance than technical skills with individuals in higher level management positions.

The book offers a good description on the parts of the brain that serve different functions in controlling an regulating emotions. 

Emotional Intelligence explained - 6 minutes