Is Emotional Intelligence Important to Success?

I think for most people this question is one they have never considered. Most believe you need financial or educational intelligence to succeed in life and to accumulate great wealth. While I agree these intelligences are important, I believe emotional intelligence plays a bigger role in the success of an entrepreneur.

First, what is emotional intelligence? It is the ability to look fear and failure in the face and push forward in spite of them. It’s the ability to learn from your mistakes…and being willing to make mistakes in the first place. We are programmed in school to get “A’s” and always learn the “right” answer…the result is learning to fear failure! At the same time, we all know that the best professional baseball players only hit the ball 25-30% of the time. We know that an olympic athlete spends years training for one race, knowing that in the end only one person will come out the winner. It’s ironic to me that while the “real world” requires us to take chances, train in spite of the risks, swing even though we will most likely miss the ball, our educational system is set up to teach us to fear risk and failure. We are taught there is one answer to every problem…it’s called the “right” answer.

In reality, there are many solutions to every problem. If reality was determined by the current known “right answer”, we would never have ended up with airplanes, light bulbs, telephones, toasters…etc..etc…you get the picture. These are all examples of thinking of new solutions to an old problem.

In order to be wealthy, you have to learn to solve problems. Period! Spend your time developing your ability to solve problems, and you will succeed! Have you ever wondered why millionaires and billionaires can lose all their money, yet bounce back. They have developed their ability to find a need and fill it. That’s more important than all the money you could ever accumulate. There is never a shortage of problems, but there is a shortage of problem-solvers.

That takes emotional intelligence…and emotional intelligence is developed by solving small problems, at first…then, working up to bigger and bigger problems. This requires being willing to fail over and over, until you find a solution.

Warren Buffet says that if you can not control your emotions, you can not control your money. It is very important when living the life of an entrepreneur. When you get this, it means that you never point the finger at anyone else to excuse your failures. You never quit! You learn from your mistakes and figure out solutions.

If you are having trouble calling your prospective customers, join your local toast masters to gain confidence in speaking and learn to express yourself through speech. If you feel your sales skills are lacking, take sales training or get a job as a salesman to learn the skills necessary to succeed. Learning these skills will repay you for years and years…avoiding them, will cost you for years and years. They do not go away UNTIL you solve them.

What’s holding you back? Figure out a way to solve it today. What skills do you need to learn? You get the picture.

If you are looking for a good resource on this subject, I highly recommend, “Increase Your Financial IQ, Get Smarter With Your Money“ by Robert Kiyosaki. I get absolutely nothing for referring this book to you, but I believe it will add value to your life. If you are serious about becoming a business owner or investor, you must read this book.

Cameron Long, CPA
www.PassionForGreatness.com