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Advice / Succeeding at Work / Work Relationships

Why Being Smart Isn't Enough at Work

You might think your smarts have the biggest effect on how well you do on the job, but turns out your EI might be more important than your IQ.

Emotional intelligence, or EI, involves understanding and managing your emotions—and how well (or how poorly) you do this has a huge impact on job performance. After all, things like being able to handle tough situations, knowing how to deal with tricky clients, and understanding the ins and outs of getting along with co-workers is just as important as actually performing your duties. And that’s certainly what your manager is observing day-to-day.

Read the infographic below to get up to speed on why emotional intelligence is so critical in the workplace, and—most importantly—what you can do to improve yours.