Emotional intelligence (the acronyms EQ or EI are used--either is acceptable) is one's ability to detect and manage emotional cues and information. Emotional intelligence is composed of five dimensions (Goleman, 2004, p. 88).

Self-Awareness: the ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their effect on others.

Self-Regulation: the ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods; the propensity to suspend judgement--to think before acting.

Motivation: a passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status; a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.

Empathy: the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people; skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions.

Social Skill: proficiency in managing relationships and building networks; an ability to find common ground and build rapport.

People who know their own emotions
and are good at reading others' emotions
may be more effective in their jobs.

(Robbins & Judge, 2008, p. 116)

Emotional intelligence helps promote effective functioning and well-being among employees. People differ in terms of the extent to which they know how they, themselves, are feeling, why they are feeling that way, and their ability to mange those feelings. Similarly, they differ in their ability to understand what other people are feeling and why, and their ability to influence or manage the feelings of others. Emotional intelligence describes these individual differences (George & Jones, 2008, pp. 59-60; Goleman, 1995).

 Daniel Goleman