Book SummaryEmotional Intelligence 2.0, by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Emotional Intelligence 2.0

In Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves argue that your ability to recognize and manage emotions—your own and those of others—is the single most important factor in determining your success. They contend that emotional intelligence (EQ) matters more than IQ or technical expertise because it shapes how you navigate complex social situations, build trust, and resolve conflicts. And unlike cognitive intelligence or personality traits, which are largely fixed, EQ is a trait you can develop by practicing four core skills: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Bradberry and Greaves are organizational psychologists and cofounders of TalentSmart, a consultancy that has administered emotional intelligence tests to a majority of Fortune 500 companies. They wrote this book in 2009 to make the emotional intelligence research that began in the 1990s more practical and accessible for working professionals who want to advance their careers. The book grew out of their observation that high performers consistently demonstrate strong EQ skills, regardless of their industry or role. Their approach is grounded in neuroscience and supported by extensive workplace research showing that EQ accounts for 58% of job performance across all types of positions.

In this guide, we’ll explore the authors’ framework in three sections. First, we’ll explore what emotional intelligence is. Second, we’ll cover both the neuroscience that explains how emotions work in your brain and the evidence that EQ predicts success better than IQ. Finally, we’ll examine how to build each of the four skills through specific, actionable strategies. Along the way, we’ll compare the authors’ approach to other emotional intelligence frameworks, examine the evolving neuroscience behind their claims, explore how EQ development may vary for different people, and connect their strategies to insights from related fields like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions and use this awareness to guide your behavior and relationships. According to Bradberry and Greaves, how you show up in the world is defined by three basic characteristics: cognitive intelligence (IQ), personality, and emotional intelligence (EQ). The authors argue that your IQ and personality are largely fixed from early childhood, and no amount of effort will significantly change them. But EQ is different: It’s the one characteristic you can develop and strengthen throughout your life, which makes it the most practical lever for self-improvement.

(Shortform note: While Bradberry and Greaves present IQ and personality as fixed, research suggests a more complex reality. IQ scores do tend to remain stable over time, but education can significantly impact them. Identical twins who receive different amounts of education show IQ differences of up to 15 points, which suggests that IQ tests measure not just innate cognitive capacity but also learnable skills. Similarly, as Olga Khazan explores in Me, But Better, researchers have found that while our genes influence personality traits, deliberate practice can create measurable changes. The authors’ broader point stands, however: EQ appears more amenable to deliberate development than either intelligence levels or personality traits.)

Bradberry and Greaves contend that putting in the effort to improve your EQ can make a huge difference in your ability to succeed: Your EQ determines whether you stay calm when criticized or lash out defensively. It affects whether you notice when a colleague is struggling or remain oblivious to their distress. It influences whether you can repair a damaged relationship or just stand by and watch it deteriorate.

How Do Researchers Study Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence has been defined in multiple ways. Psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer, who coined the term “emotional intelligence” in 1990, developed ability-based tests to measure EQ. Similar to IQ tests, these present problems that have “correct” answers, like identifying emotions in facial expressions. Their approach treats EQ as an innate form of intelligence that determines your capacity to learn emotional skills. In contrast, Bradberry and Greaves, along with other researchers including Reuven Bar-On, use questionnaires that ask people to rate their own emotional skills, like “I understand my emotions as I experience them” or “I manage stress effectively.” This treats EQ as a set of learnable skills.

Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and science journalist, brought EQ to widespread public attention with his 1995 best seller Emotional Intelligence. Goleman drew on Salovey and Mayer’s research—as well as findings from business and education—to argue that emotional skills matter more for success than traditional intelligence. His work helped make EQ a mainstream concept, and his approach blended elements of both the ability-based and skill-based perspectives.

Notably, these different measurement approaches reveal different patterns: People who score high on ability-based tests of EQ also tend to score high on traditional IQ tests, suggesting these tests measure a cognitive capacity. In contrast,...

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Summary Chapters 1-4: What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Human beings possess three defining characteristics: cognitive intelligence (IQ), personality, and emotional intelligence (EQ):

• Cognitive Intelligence (IQ) is how well you can learn new information.
• Personality is your preferences and traits such as introversion and extroversion.
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is your ability to recognize your emotions, recognize the emotions of those around you, and use this awareness to guide your behavior and develop strong relationships.

For many years, people have correlated cognitive intelligence (IQ) with success in the workplace. However, workers with the highest IQs rarely outperform their colleagues with average IQs. In fact, people with average IQs outperform those with high IQs 70% of the time. If IQ is not a determining factor of success in the workplace, what is? Research now points to EQ.

Why Is EQ Important?

Reason #1: EQ helps you process your emotions. You have emotional responses to almost everything you experience in your day-to-day life. Though many of your responses may seem minor, they’re important because your reactions develop into patterns of behavior.

Your brain is designed...

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Summary Chapter 5: Self-Awareness

The first step to developing personal competence is self-awareness. Self-awareness is your ability to identify your emotions as they occur and recognize your tendencies during different scenarios.

People with high levels of self-awareness:

• Recognize the people or situations that upset them
• Notice patterns of behavior in specific situations
  • For example, they may recognize that they get angry when someone wastes their time or nervous when a particular person enters the room.
• Embrace emotional outbursts as learning opportunities
• Take time to decipher the reasons behind their emotional responses
• Know what they do well, and what they don’t
• Understand the things that motivate them

The Benefits of Self-Awareness, and the Cost of Its Absence

Shortform Exercise: Explore the Link Between Your Body and Your Emotions

Understanding how your body responds to emotions allows you to identify your feelings as they emerge. Use this exercise to explore the ways your body responds to different emotional stimuli.

Close your eyes for a minute or two and begin to observe the sensations throughout your body. Are you breathing deeply or shallowly? Are you tense? If so, where? How fast is your heart beating? List the physical sensations you're experiencing. Be specific.

Shortform Exercise: What Are My Core Values?

Knowing your core values allows you to make rational decisions based upon your beliefs rather than in-the-moment reactions. Use this exercise to solidify your core values and identify behaviors that go against your beliefs.

What are the core values that guide you? Examples of core values include: showing compassion, being a dependable colleague, putting your family first, fighting for your friends, pursuing your passion, and so on. List 2-5 of your core values.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Summary Chapter 6: Self-Management

After you’ve strengthened your self-awareness skills, you can begin to develop the second step of personal competence: self-management. Self-management is the ability to use your self-awareness to manage your emotions and stay in control of your behavior.

People with high-levels of self-management:

• Control reactive behavior
• Do not allow their emotions to dictate their decisions
• Find peace with uncertainty
• Navigate complex situations patiently
• See projects through to the end regardless of frustration
• Focus on long-term development

The Benefits of Self-Management, and the Cost of Its Absence

Shortform Exercise: Make an Emotion vs. Reason List

Differentiating between your emotional and rational brain will help you discover the best route forward when faced with a difficult situation. Use this exercise to make the distinction and clarify your decision-making process.

Think of an issue you're currently experiencing that requires you to make a decision. Describe it.

Shortform Exercise: Visualize Your Success

Visualizing yourself managing a situation well allows your brain to develop EQ skills before difficult situations arise.

Think of a situation in which you have previously had trouble managing your emotions. Describe it.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Summary Chapter 7: Social Awareness

Once you have developed personal competence, you can begin to build your social competence. Reminder: social competence is your ability to interact with people effectively.

The first step to social competence is social awareness. Social awareness is the ability to identify emotions in other people and understand the reasons behind them.

People with high levels of social awareness:

• Give others the opportunity to speak
• Actively listen
  • They stop what they’re doing and turn their full attention to the other person
• Pick up on cues that reveal emotion
  • For example, if someone’s hand is shaking as they speak to you, they may be nervous or angry.
• Take in important information without bias
• Adapt to the emotional climate
• Develop empathy for the people around them

The Benefits of Social Awareness, and the Cost of Its Absence

Shortform Exercise: Live in the Moment

A crucial aspect of social awareness is an ability to live in the moment. If you allow distractions to pull your focus, you won’t catch critical information.

Think of a recent conversation that you had in which you felt disconnected. Describe it.

Shortform Exercise: Plan for Interactions

Having a plan for social gatherings allows you to get out of your head and be more socially aware.

Think of a recent social event where you felt overwhelmed. In what ways did you feel overwhelmed? (Did your conversations feel stilted? Did you forget things? Did you feel uncomfortable?)

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Summary Chapter 8: Relationship Management

The second step to social competence and the fourth and final skill in EQ development is relationship management. Relationship management is your ability to develop relationships with other people.

People with high levels of relationship management:

• Connect with a multitude of people
• Interact with people frequently
• Find the benefits in every relationship
• Create an environment that promotes discussion and connection
• Handle stressful situations well
• Develop a strong rapport with coworkers—even with people they do not inherently agree with

The Benefits of Relationship Management, and the Costs of Its Absence

Shortform Exercise: Make the Right Impact

Good intentions and positive impact don’t always align. Make sure that your intention leads to the desired impact.

Think of a recent situation in which your good intentions ended up worsening a situation. This could be anything from a mistimed joke to an unclear objective. Describe your intention, the action(s) that you took, and the resulting impact.

Shortform Exercise: Handle Tense Situations Effectively

The way that you handle tense situations reveals a lot about your emotional intelligence. The higher your EQ, the better you are at navigating these situations while maintaining strong relationships.

Think of a recent disagreement with a colleague in which one or both of you began blaming one another for a problem. Describe it.

Shortform Exercise: Develop Personal Competence

Emotional intelligence requires that you first develop personal competence. Self-awareness and self-management create the foundation of EQ.

Reflect on a recent time a lack of self-awareness led to a poor decision. Describe it.