情商是成功的秘诀吗？

一些研究显示，高情商可以帮助你取得成功，尤其是在工作中能助你脱颖而出。高情商还可以让你成为更好的团队成员，并影响你的决策能力。

According to research studies coming out of top US universities, having high emotional intelligence, or EQ, can help you to succeed, particularly at work.

The idea of emotional intelligence was introduced by psychologist John Mayer in the 90s and has gained popularity since, especially because it is said to be something that you can improve. Someone with high emotional intelligence can supposedly build strong relationships, achieve their goals and manage their emotions – key areas for success in most jobs!

It's likely that, during your career, you will need to work in a team. A 2020 Harvard study, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, investigated social skills and team players. They did this by grouping volunteers and giving them a variety of tricky problems. They then compared the top individual performers. Results showed two main reasons why these individuals excelled, both linked to emotional intelligence. The first reason was that they were very good at recognising the emotional state of their teammates. The second was that they helped to improve their team's performance through motivation.

When researching links between emotion-understanding ability and risk-taking, a 2012 Yale study found emotional intelligence to be critical to decision making. Researchers investigated the way that leaders come to a decision when they are under pressure. The results revealed that participants with a high awareness of why they felt under pressure managed to keep a clearer head and were less likely to take risks. Being able to understand and manage emotions is a key part of EQ.

So, if you're trying to succeed, work on your emotional intelligence and it may just make a difference!