Can I be honest with you? Haven’t we all heard enough about artificial intelligence to last a lifetime?
Every conference.
Every article.
Every social media post.
But look – I get it. AI is powerful, and it’s everywhere. It’s a game-changer, and it’s not going away.
And yet, we call it artificial intelligence for a reason. Because it is artificial.
Manufactured.
Simulated.
It can replicate, mimic, and calculate at lightning speed, but when it’s all said and done, it’s still a facsimile of something it doesn’t actually possess. It can’t emote.
Know what else it can’t do?
It can’t notice its own emotional state.
It can’t notice an insecurity and work to overcome it.
It can’t sense the hesitation in a client’s voice or hear what’s NOT being said.
No, those things are the heart and soul of emotional intelligence, or EI.
But don’t think that EI is just another feel-good buzzword. It’s the real intelligence that drives personal and professional success. In fact, given the choice between having the best AI tool in the world or having a team of people with incredible EI, I’d pick the people every time.
So just what is emotional intelligence? Daniel Goleman was the first to popularize it in 1995 with his book Emotional Intelligence, but the concept has evolved significantly since then. Here are the five key components of EI:
1. Self-awareness. Knowing your emotions and how they affect your actions.
2. Self-regulation. Controlling impulses, adapting, and staying calm amidst chaos.
3. Motivation. The inner drive that pushes you forward without needing an incentive.
4. Empathy. The ability to read the room, sense what others are feeling, and respond appropriately.
5. Social skills. Building connections, managing conflict, and influencing others without force.
The common theme running through all five of these elements is ‘being human.’ Yes, being human in the messy, often complicated reality of how people actually think and feel. AI can’t do messy, and it can’t do complicated.
I didn’t really understand the value of EI early in my career. Like most people, I thought success was more about being the smartest person in the room or closing the biggest deal. Well, those things still matter, but your IQ and technical skills can only get you so far.
It’s your Emotional Quotient (EQ) that determines whether people follow you. Whether they trust you and go the extra mile. It’s your EQ that keeps you grounded when your ego wants to take over.
So here’s the conclusion — AI is impressive. But it’s still artificial. Emotional intelligence, however, is real.
It’s human.
It’s alive.
As intelligence becomes increasingly artificial, our greatest advantage is to be what we are — human.