Image courtesy of Олег Мороз
Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a skill set that shapes how we understand ourselves and respond to challenges. While many people refer to “types” of emotional intelligence, what they’re really describing are the five core components of EQ outlined by psychologist Daniel Goleman.
With AI and high-end technologies, hard skills have moved slightly back compared to soft skills. That makes EQ often more important than IQ. From improving mental well-being to driving career success, understanding emotional intelligence is life-changing. Discover the five types of EQ, how to measure them across EQ levels, and practical strategies to strengthen each area.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
In a nutshell, emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions both your own and those of others. The concept was first introduced in 1990 by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer, but it gained widespread attention when Daniel Goleman expanded on it in his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence.
EQ is a comprehensive concept that consists of multiple skills or innate features. It can be measured through self-reports or an online EQ test that evaluates self-awareness, empathy, and social skills. The difficulty is that EQ is not universal. It differs from culture to culture and also depends on the area applied: personal life or professional settings.
Although emotional intelligence is still an active area of research, decades of studies already show the undeniable benefits of higher EQ levels. For example, EQ predicts 80% of the factors leading to success in life, such as a high-paying, fulfilling job, inner harmony, and the ability to form bonds with others.
Mental health benefits are as impressive: better stress management, higher rates of positive emotions, and improved resilience in stressful situations.
5 Types of Emotional Intelligence
When people talk about the “types” of emotional intelligence, they’re usually referring to what psychologist Daniel Goleman defined as the five core components of EQ:
- Self-awarenes
- Self-regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Social skills
Understanding these components has practical applications. By identifying where they’re strong and where they may need growth, a person can take actionable steps to improve how they manage emotions, build relationships, and handle challenges. Let’s explore each component in detail and discover ways to strengthen them in everyday life.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence. It’s the ability to recognize and understand emotions, triggers, and patterns, and how these influence thoughts, decisions, and relationships.
One of the most striking signs of this emotional intelligence type is that people don’t ignore their emotions. High self-awareness equals acknowledging emotions and using that information to respond thoughtfully.
Highly self-aware individuals tend to make better choices, build healthier relationships, and manage stress more effectively because they understand what drives their behaviors and feelings. This awareness also promotes self-confidence because people are better equipped to trust their instincts and know their strengths and weaknesses.
Components of Self-Awareness
- Emotional recognition. The ability to accurately name what you’re feeling in the moment. Not saying “I’m stressed,” but actively thinking “I feel this way because my expectations were not met.”
- Accurate self-assessment. Understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and values.
- Confidence. When people can accurately assess themselves, they are also confident about the challenges they can overcome. If they know they need help, they are not afraid to ask for it.
How to Improve Self-Awareness
- Track what you feel and why. Ask yourself, what triggered these reactions in me: crossed boundaries, earlier negative experiences, or resentment towards a person? You can use a phone, a journal, or conversations with therapists or trusted friends for that.
- Ask for constructive feedback from trusted friends, mentors, or colleagues. Also, be open-minded that you may receive criticism or hear something you don’t like.
- Reflect on your values and goals to align your decisions with what truly matters to you. Start by writing what you believe is the most important in your life. Tip: Find a fictional character that you’re drawn to. They probably are what you look for in life.
Self-Regulation
Self-regulation means the ability to manage emotions and impulses, even under stress or pressure. It is the next EQ level after self-awareness. A common misconception is that self-regulation is about suppressing feelings, but it really is responding in a calm, intentional way.
This type of emotional intelligence is especially valuable in relationships and workplaces. People with strong self-regulation can adapt to changing situations. For example, they are collected even during conflict and can manage their thoughts without blaming their opponent or feeling helpless.
Components of Self-Regulation
- Impulse control. Not letting emotions dictate values, opinions, and actions in particular.
- Adaptability. Helping yourself to adjust to new situations.
- Integrity. Maintaining honesty and reliability, even in difficult circumstances. It especially concerns peer pressure or stressful circumstances that usually break values and force people to act differently than they would usually do.
How to Improve Self-Regulation
- Pause before responding during stressful situations. It might seem hard in a moment, but it’s one of the things that gets better with practice.
- Use grounding techniques like the 5-4-3-2-1 method or hugging yourself to calm the nervous system when emotions overflow.
- Know the triggers. Pay attention to what causes impulsive and strong reactions. You can note it in a notebook or on your phone. Then, create strategies for responding to each of them in advance.
- Practice positive self-talk. Be constructive, pointing out areas for improvement, but not overly critical. Don’t forget to praise yourself, even for small wins, like getting through a day without arguing with someone.
- Build routines that support emotional balance. This means mentally devoting space to self-improvement and mental well-being. For example, 10 minutes a day for journaling or a daily short walk around the block.
Motivation
Motivation in emotional intelligence types refers to the drive to achieve goals beyond external rewards. People with high intrinsic motivation are guided by passion, curiosity, and a desire for growth. They see challenges as opportunities to improve rather than threats to avoid.
This type of emotional intelligence comes from the previous EQ levels. If a person knows their values (self-awareness) and how to achieve them despite setbacks (self-regulation), they are more motivated to achieve more. Even when challenges occur, motivated individuals don’t give up. They may try, fail, adapt, and try again, even if it takes a hundred tries.
Components of Motivation
- Intrinsic drive. Finding satisfaction in the process, not just the outcome. Relying on the result is counterproductive because it may take a long time, and motivation wears out, or the result will differ from what was imagined, with the following disappointment.
- Optimism. Believing that effort leads to growth, even in difficult situations. Knowing that things may go wrong, but hoping for the better and not fearing worse outcomes.
- Commitment. Staying consistent with goals and values.
- Initiative. Taking proactive steps to create opportunities and solve problems.
How to Improve Motivation
- Set purpose-driven goals that align with values, not just external rewards. It helps make the process as enjoyable as the outcome.
- Break large goals into small, achievable steps. Achieving something consistently helps to maintain motivation and the initial drive that makes achieving goals easier.
- Use visualization techniques, such as vision boards, to picture success and reinforce focus.
- Surround yourself with supportive, inspiring people who encourage growth.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the emotions of others, even when their experiences are different from your own. This type of emotional intelligence goes beyond simply understanding why someone feels that way. Empathy also includes actively listening, validating the emotions of others, and responding to them to make other people feel understood and supported.
Has it ever happened that a close person starts to cry, and you just don’t know how to react? Knowing how to respond to such situations builds deeper connections and trust. Although such situations are unlikely to occur in professional settings, empathy is as important here. It strengthens teamwork, improves leadership, and promotes inclusive environments.
Components of Empathy
- Emotional awareness. A consequence of “Self-awareness” EQ level. Recognizing feelings of others through words, tone, or body language.
- Active listening. Giving full attention to understand what someone is expressing. Picking up things that go without saying and bringing them up in further conversations.
- Perspective-taking. Seeing situations from another person’s point of view. Understanding the motivation behind certain actions.
- Compassionate response. Offering help or understanding without judgment.
How to Improve Empathy
- Practice active listening. Focus entirely on what the other person is saying without planning your response.
- Ask open-ended questions to better understand others. For example, “How is that stressful project going?” or “I liked that story about your mom. Can you tell more about her?”
- Pay attention to nonverbal cues, like tone and body language.
- Read literature or watch stories that share diverse life experiences to expand your perspective. The most valuable stories are from those whose life experience differs from yours. People of different races, from other countries, or with various professions.
Social Skills
Social skills are the outward expression of emotional intelligence. This EQ level describes the ability to build, maintain, and strengthen relationships in personal and professional settings. For Goldman, this component was rather an outcome of previous ones. If a person is aware, self-regulated, motivated, and empathetic, they will have well-developed social skills.
Components of Social Skills
- Clear communication. Expressing thoughts and emotions in a way others can easily understand. It means using clear language and knowing how to approach different people.
- Conflict resolution. Managing disagreements calmly and fairly. Being able to negotiate and meet in the middle is an essential skill for this type of emotional intelligence.
- Relationship building. Establishing trust and maintaining meaningful connections.
- Influence and leadership. Inspiring and guiding others effectively.
- Collaboration. Working well in teams and valuing others’ strengths.
How to Improve Social Skills
- Improve different types of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and empathy.
- Practice active listening to make others feel heard and valued.
- Offer constructive feedback instead of criticism. A practical tip would be to use the sandwich method: a recommendation to improve, followed by positive comments.
- Seek out opportunities to collaborate, even in small projects, to build teamwork experience.
- Observe and learn from people with strong interpersonal skills to model effective communication.
What Are EQ Levels?
Emotional intelligence isn’t just about individual types. They all come together into a mutually dependent concept, called EQ levels. Unlike types/components of emotional intelligence, there are four levels of EQ:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Social awareness
- Social management
Types of emotional intelligence and EQ levels usually describe the same phenomenon. However, EQ leveling views emotional intelligence as a cascade: each type is a consequence of a previous one.
- Self-Awareness. This EQ level corresponds to the first type. It’s how well a person recognizes and understands their own emotions, triggers, and patterns.
- Self-Management. In the EQ leveling model, self-management combines self-regulation and motivation. This EQ level means that a person stays focused and composed under pressure.
- Social Awareness. Social awareness is all about empathy. Being socially aware generally describes being empathetic. So, recognize and understand others’ emotions, even when unspoken. This level of EQ makes it easier to build trust, show compassion, and respond thoughtfully in relationships or work settings.
- Social Management. Social management reflects how effectively you build, maintain, and influence relationships. It combines two types of emotional intelligence: social skills and empathy.