Love vs Emotional Intelligence

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In this episode...

Love vs Emotional Intelligence

https://faithfulontheclock.com/love-vs-emotional-intelligence

If you had a quarter for every mention of emotional intelligence in the business world, well, you’d have a lot of quarters! This episode of Faithful on the Clock talks about how emotional intelligence and love connect and why understanding their similarities and differences influences your entire approach to work.

Timestamps:

[00:04] - Intro

[00:31] - Definition of emotional intelligence (EQ)

[01:28] - How EQ relates to relationships and success in the business context

[02:32] - One of the negative aspects of how we focus on EQ is that it’s very scientific, which makes it harder to connect it to love and God.

[03:17] - The steps with EQ and love are essentially the same.

[04:01] - The key difference between EQ and love, if there is one, is in connotation. EQ is more egocentric and inward-focused, whereas love is more sacrificial and outward-focused in service.

[05:28] - Acknowledging the connotation difference is important because being forced to operate only in the context of EQ rather than love can lead to code-switching and inauthenticity.

[06:17] - We need to think about ways to bridge the gap between EQ and love.

[07:08] - There are many ways to be loving, as Daniel Goleman outlines with the 5 love languages. When professionals talk about good EQ, they really mean communicating well in those languages. Be mindful of your language and the language of others.

[08:22] - Prayer

[09:03] - Outro/What’s coming up next

Key takeaways:

• Emotional intelligence is the ability to pay attention to how you or others feel or think and then respond appropriately. It is multifaceted, involving past, present, and future orientations.
• Good EQ can positively influence relationships, and subsequently, careers and companies. This is the theme across many articles, books, and other sources.
• The scientific view of EQ that’s so prevalent today can rob us of seeing it as being synonymous with love and God. But the steps in EQ and love are virtually the same.
• If there is any distinction between EQ and love, it is that the connotation of EQ is more egocentric. Love looks outward and is service-based.
• In many business circles, it’s OK to talk about EQ but not love, which is unfair and which forces us to be less authentic as Christians.
• There are many ways to show love in different languages, as outlined by Daniel Goleman. Be mindful of the language you have, as well as the languages others prefer.

CTAs:

• See if you can find ways to pivot discussions of EQ back to love and the second commandment. 
• When you find yourself in tricky interpersonal situations, ask yourself if you are working to resolve things for yourself or for others. Seek to be a servant rather than to gain.

What’s coming up next:

We’re called to be loving, as God is. But doing that at work can be tricky business. In Episode 55 of Faithful on the Clock, we’ll explore what makes compassion at work so hard and present some tips on how to be more loving despite the hurdles.

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