There's an enormous amount of research suggesting that emotional intelligence (EQ) is critical to your performance at work. TalentSmart has tested the EQ of more than a million people and found that it explains 58 percent of success in all types of jobs.People with high EQs make $29,000 more annually than people with low EQs. Ninety percent of top performers have high EQs, and a single-point increase in your EQ adds $1,300 to your salary. I could go on and on.Suffice it to say, emotional intelligence is a way to focus your energy with tremendous results.But there's a catch. Emotional intelligence won't do a thing for you if you aren't genuine.A recent study from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington found that people don't accept demonstrations of emotional intelligence at face value. They're too skeptical for that. They don't just want to see signs of emotional intelligence. They also want to know that it's genuinethat your emotions are authentic.According to lead researcher Christina Fong, when it comes to your co-workers,"They are not just mindless automatons. They think about the emotions they see and care whether they are sincere or manipulative."The same study found that sincere leaders are far more effective at motivating people, because they inspire trust and admiration through their actions, not just their words. Many leaders say that authenticity is important to them, but genuine leaders walk their talk every day.It's not enough to just go through the motions, trying to demonstrate qualities that are associated with emotional intelligence. You have to be genuine.You can do a gut check to find out how genuine you are by comparing your own behavior with that of people who are highly genuine. Consider the hallmarks of genuine people and see how you stack up.SEE ALSO:11 habits of highly successful people1. Genuine people don't try to make people like themGenuine people are who they are. They know that some people will like them, and some won't. And they're OK with that. It's not that they don't care whether other people will like them but simply that they're not going to let that get in the way of doing the right thing. They're willing to make unpopular decisions and to take unpopular positions if that's what needs to be done.Since genuine people aren't desperate for attention, they don't try to show off. They know that when they speak in a friendly, confident, and concise manner, people are much more attentive to and interested in what they have to say than if they try to show that they're important. People catch on to your attitude quickly and are more attracted to the right attitude than what or how many people you know.2. They don't pass judgmentGenuine people are open-minded, which makes them approachable and interesting to others. No one wants to have a conversation with someone who has already formed an opinion and is not willing to listen.Having an open mind is crucial in the workplace, as approachability means access to new ideas and help. To eliminate preconceived notions and judgment, you need to see the world through other people's eyes. This doesn't require you to believe what they believe or condone their behavior; it simply means you quit passing judgment long enough to truly understand what makes them tick. Only then can you let them be who they are.3. They forge their own pathsGenuine people don't derive their sense of pleasure and satisfaction from the opinions of others. This frees them up to follow their own internal compasses. They know who they are and don't pretend to be anyone else. Their direction comes from within, from their own principles and values. They do what they believe to be the right thing, and they're not swayed by the fact that somebody might not like it.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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