The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Young Entrepreneurs A 10-year-old entrepreneur shares how inculcating emotional intelligence training into her life has aided her entrepreneurial success.

In business, we often face situations requiring quick decisions. The challenge lies in determining whether we are responding with the right emotions or not. As an entrepreneur, I've faced moments where managing emotions was key to making the right choice. As a founder of a publishing house, I remember when I had to decide to go ahead and publish a story under a very tight deadline, or delay it to make sure it meets the quality standards I value.

Recognizing the stress I felt in that moment made me stop, understand and choose the best way that is suitable to my values and vision of my business. But sometimes we find it truly challenging to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions- it requires a deep understanding to gain strength from within ourselves and control our reactions, especially when it is towards others.

Emotional intelligence isn't just about gaining some knowledge, it's about how to use it wisely to lead a healthier emotional life.

The first element of emotional intelligence is self-awareness which means being able to identify your emotions as they happen to understand how they affect your behavior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I often felt frustrated when my sales went down during the international bookfair. But by practicing self-awareness, I was able to acknowledge the frustration and think about its sources instead of letting it lead to impulsive reactions. Being self-aware helps me to stay in control of  actions and make decisions that align with my values. So the solution back then was to keep pushing sales through my online platform instead of showing up in person as I realized that people were still in lockdown due to the pandemic.  

Self-recognition is another important aspect of emotional intelligence. While self-awareness is about recognizing emotions, self-regulation focuses on managing how you respond to them. Self-regulation doesn't mean ignoring your emotions but learning to express them in a constructive way. Imagine a situation where you feel angry after receiving negative feedback. Instead of reacting defensively or shouting, self-recognition allows you to take a step back, consider the feedback calmly, and respond appropriately. In such situations, I found it valuable to reward people for being so honest to improve the work quality.  

Empathy is yet another key element of emotional intelligence. Empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others. It enables you to connect with people on a deeper level and respond to their emotions with kindness and understanding. For instance, if a friend is upset about failing a test, empathy allows you to put yourself in their shoes, imagine how they're feeling and provide comfort or encouragement. As such, empathy is especially important in teamwork because it helps people work together and resolve conflicts respectfully.

Social skills are closely related to empathy and are another critical part of emotional intelligence; these skills include communication, active listening and conflict. 

People with strong social skills can build positive relationships, inspire others and create a supportive environment wherever they go. For example, during the Frankfurt international bookfair, my ability to actively listen and engage with expert publishers helped me to build a valuable partnership.  

Motivation is another component of emotional intelligence and plays a great role in personal and professional success. It's about staying focused and determined even when challenges occur suddenly. People with high emotional intelligence are often self-motivated, meaning they don't rely solely on external rewards to stay driven. For example, a motivated entrepreneur who struggles with a startup might keep practicing and learning even after losing a pitch competition because they are committed to improving and succeeding. Motivation helps people overcome setbacks and stay on track towards their goals.

Improving emotional intelligence takes time and consistent effort, but the results are transformative. To make a serious change, your first step should be to increase your self-awareness by paying attention to your emotions and trying to understand what triggers them. You can journal about your feelings or reflect on your reactions- this can help you and gain insights into your emotions' patterns. I often practice this by pausing before reacting to strong emotions and taking a deep breath to think about how I am going to react in a proper way without overreacting to the problem, or even good news!

Self-recognition isn't about surprising emotions but learning to channel them in ways that benefit you and those around you, especially when building a business. Building empathy involves listening to others without interrupting or judging, showing genuine interest in their experience and trying to imagine how they feel. This can help you as an entrepreneur to keep the conversation flow while discussing your business.

While working with a group, your small acts of kindness like offering help or encouragement can strengthen your ability to empathize over time. These efforts can improve your relationships among your group and make you more understanding and compassionate. Enhancing social skills requires working on your communication and teamwork abilities. Practice active listening by paying full attention to the speaker. On the other hand, responding thoughtfully focuses on being clear, respectful and confident when expressing yourself. If conflicts arise, approach them with a problem-solving mindset rather than blaming others.

Emotional intelligence has been a foundation of my entrepreneurial success. By cultivating it, I've learned to navigate challenges, build strong relationships, and stay focused on my goals. I believe every entrepreneur should invest in this skill to thrive in their personal and professional lives.