In the workplace, those who are highly emotionally intelligent are more likely to be hired and promoted and earn a higher salary. Emotionally intelligence people make better and more effective leaders, and they can more easily form friendships with their co-workers. While being emotionally intelligent is a benefit in the workplace, it also benefits you throughout your life.

Promotes self-motivation
Those with a high level of emotional intelligence are also intrinsically motivated. They aren’t driven by the promise of money or fame, but instead by their own ambition. They want to succeed for their own sake. This motivates them to be trying to improve continuously, both in work and on themselves. They’re always ready to act on a new opportunity and commit fully to goals. While this has obvious benefits in the workplace, it also sets you up for success outside of work. It helps you to set personal improvement goals and stick to them. It gives you the ambition to always be reaching towards a new goal and the drive to follow through with it.

Increases self-awareness
Self-awareness is one of the pillars of emotional intelligence. Emotionally intelligent people are more fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses, which is a huge benefit in the workplace. Knowing the areas in which you need to improve gives you the strength to make those improvements. Knowing where you excel gives you the power to help others grow in that area. Outside of work, being self-aware lets you understand how your words and actions impact others. This lets you form stronger relationships with people in your life and gives you the ability to apologize and grow from the mistakes you make.

Boosts positivity
Emotionally intelligent people are overall more positive and focus less on the negatives things in life. Having a positive attitude empowers you to be more resourceful, creative, flexible and open-minded. You’re better able to focus on tasks and get them accomplished quicker, as you have more interest in your work. This applies to your personal life as well. In general, positivity helps you to be a better friend and family member. It gives you the ability to view failures as learning opportunities and to think the best of all situations.

Makes change easier
Most people struggle to adjust to change, and some even actively resist it. However, your success in and out of the workplace depends on your adaptability. Highly emotionally intelligent people embrace change instead of avoiding it. They realize that it’s a constant in life and as such need to handle it well. In the workplace, this helps you to thrive when there are leadership and structure changes. In your personal life, it helps you to be okay with the constant changes that arise in your relationships, living situation, family matters and work.