I chose to take the emotional intelligence quiz created by GlobaLeadership Foundation. This quiz examines four different parameters of emotional intelligence including self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness and relationship management. It was made up of 40 questions each with two options for which action to choose in a given scenario. Before starting, I thought that I was emotionally intelligent, and that I would score well. All four of these parameters reflect different capabilities of a nurse, and they must individually be strong in order for a person to act with their own interests in mind, as well as others’.
My results told a bit of a different story. I scored a 4/10 for self-awareness, 5/10 for self-management, 9/10 for social-awareness, and 9/10 for relationship management. I was mostly surprised that I scored so low for self-awareness, because I had previously thought I was better than most at being aware of my own thoughts and feelings. Self-awareness is measured by emotional self-awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence. I never realized how many components went into the concept of self-awareness and learning that self-confidence plays a part helps me understand my low score, as I have always struggled to see my own self-worth. People close to me have also noticed that I struggle to discuss and identify my emotions for the sake of others, which also fits into the fact that I lack emotional self-awareness.
My 5/10 self-management involves my ability to use self-control, be transparent, take initiative, and be adaptable. I think I tend to be shy in certain situations, which causes me to hesitate, not share my opinion, and be less transparent. Additionally, I lack a strong desire to seize opportunities and act. I tend to be cautious and am more likely to overthink and become absorbed by my options before I make a decision. This may not prove to be the best trait in the nursing profession, which often involves fast decision-making that may impact my own mental health. My 9/10 score for social awareness reflects my ability to use empathy, be organized, navigate politics, and recognize other’s needs. I think based on my previous points, this makes sense, as what I lack in self-awareness, I make up for in social awareness. I tend to be far more concerned with other people’s feelings than my own.
I also scored high on the relationship management competency, which involves my ability to guide groups of individuals, give feedback, manage conflict, and influence others. I have worked in many customer service jobs and have learned quickly over the years the best ways to deal with other people, even when they are particularly difficult.
Moving forward, I think my social awareness and relationship management will serve me well in my future nursing career. However, if I want to be a good leader, I need to work on my self-reflective skills and improve my self-awareness and self-management. The ability to lead other people doesn’t just involve understanding others, it also means you have to understand yourself and be able to keep yourself healthy. Nursing is all about caring for other people, and working well as a team, but I can’t forget that my own emotional needs come first.
Nice insights and a well written paper; thanks for sharing.