Emotional intelligence is a pretty broad topic than it seems to be. There are even branches that make up its framework. But practically, emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is a person's ability to recognize his emotions, to understand what the emotion is trying to communicate, and to manage that certain emotion considering the effect it will have on others (relational). Whichever angle you view it from, EQ highlights the importance of handling emotions with respect to achieving success in life. In fact, a mountain of research has shown us that EQ is far more important that IQ. These conducted studies confirm that people within a business organization who focus more on their EQ rather that their IQ developed steadfast and valuable relationships with other prominent businesses hence generating more income as well as achieving higher personal success rates despite drastic changes in the economy. Several corporations even send their employees to EQ seminars and workshops to enhance productivity as much as effectivity. Evidently, raw intelligence is considered to take up only a small percentage in predicting success rate in one's life.
It's our nature to be emotional. Our actions are usually fueled by our emotions and we often react on impulse. We need to understand our emotions, and learn how to manage them in such a way that you should consider the other person's emotions. This goes both for verbal as well as non verbal communication.
Developing a higher level of EQ fosters personal and career growth. There are several tests that you can take online to determine your EQ, and exercises that you can do to develop and improve your emotional intelligence. This may take time, practice, and of course, commitment. But in the end, you'll get life's great rewards!