7 Essential Books On Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence books are always a useful and enriching resource to increase our self-knowledge, better manage our complex emotional universe, and enjoy more fulfilling relationships. Sometimes it’s not enough to have a high IQ to be happy: intelligence is much more than the result of a test.

We are aware that this topic is not new. We’ve all heard of the concept and many of us have already read a bit about it. Despite the fact that two decades have passed since Daniel Goleman popularized the term with his bestseller Emotional Intelligence , we could say that its principles are still missing from many of our everyday situations. In other words, we are talking about something more known than practiced, more revered than practiced.

The influence of emotional intelligence

We would like to see emotional intelligence present in our workplace, among colleagues who are trained in emotional skills. We would undoubtedly love it if the principles of emotional intelligence were applied in a correct and real way in the curriculum of every educational center. It would also be fascinating if our political leaders mastered many of the principles of this discipline, because it would make us all winners.

We lack the presence of emotional intelligence in many areas. And we can also see that we ourselves also have flaws, holes and wrong attitudes that increase our fear, which cause mental blocks and frustration. First of all, the good news is that it is possible to train your emotional intelligence. Our brain is always receptive when it comes to adopting new approaches, strategies and skills that we can use to improve our quality of life and our social relationships.

A good way to achieve this is to immerse yourself in the wide range of written material that exists on this subject today. And so, in this article, we’re sharing seven books on emotional intelligence that we think are the most interesting.

The Seven Most Interesting Books on Emotional Intelligence

 1. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

It wouldn’t be right to share a list of emotional intelligence books without referencing this book. Since this book laid the foundation for a revolution in psychology, personal growth, leadership and education. We could rightly say that things changed somewhat in 1996, when Daniel Goleman, psychologist, New York Times journalist and brain science specialist, bluntly told us that “our view of human intelligence was very limited.”

As humans, we possess a wide range of essential abilities to guide our lives. And emotional intelligence is the best tool of these to achieve happiness and social success. This is one of those emotional intelligence books that you should definitely not overlook. It allows us to understand and think about the basics of emotional intelligence

2. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves

Let’s imagine that we have already read several books on emotional intelligence. Let’s imagine we understand the key concepts. That we have thoroughly explored the usefulness, benefits and areas in which emotional intelligence can be applied. We all know this, but how can we put it into practice in our daily lives?

This book teaches us hundreds of ways to use emotional intelligence for a very specific purpose. Namely to improve our quality of life. To achieve this, the authors help us learn four basic skills. Namely self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and managing our social relationships.

The approach of this book is really very interesting.

3. The secret of how to control and transform your life by Maxwell Maltz

This book has two very special features. The first feature is the year it was published, which is in 1960. And the second feature is the person who wrote the book, Maxwell Maltz. Maltz was one of the most famous plastic surgeons in the world in his day. This doctor, accustomed to changing people’s physical appearance to improve their self-esteem, or repairing faces of people who had suffered a traumatic accident, was aware that just looking at yourself in the mirror wasn’t enough to really to be happy.

We need a different kind of transformation: one that starts from within, from our own psyche and emotions. So, long before Daniel Goleman talked about emotional intelligence, Dr. Maltz provides a wonderful foundation for this all-important book. A book that was reissued and passed out of obscurity as this concept started to regain popularity.

 4. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

This is a true classic in the category of emotional intelligence books. More than 25 million copies have been sold. What makes this book appealing is that it offers a holistic approach to achieving success, happiness and well-being.

Stephen Covey, a well-known professor, lecturer and entrepreneur, is especially committed to equipping us with resources and skills that can make us more proactive. The purpose of all of this is to improve our relationships, our sense of security, and our leadership capacity through emotional intelligence. Moreover, this is combined in this book with very interesting concepts about human dignity and the sense of social justice.

5. Educating with Emotional Intelligence by Maurice J. Tobias, Steven E. and Friedl Elias

This is one of the most interesting and useful books on emotional intelligence. Especially for those who have children at home or who work in the education world. Through the pages of this book, we can learn to talk better with our children. And to build a more satisfying relationship with them from there. This, in turn, will provide our children with strategies and skills to improve their relationships with other people.

It is a very educational option that invites us to think about many different issues. It puts us in very real situations where as adults we sometimes feel a little powerless. For example, when it comes to maintaining tantrums. Or conflicts between siblings or our children’s classmates. As we said, it is a very useful option and a very rewarding and enriching experience.

6. The Resounding Leader Creates More by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee

Mark Twain once said, “I don’t know whether the world is run by intelligent people who tease us or by imbeciles who speak seriously.” Many of us will have thought the same as Mr. Twain. Since some of our leaders, whether they are in the workplace or in the political realm, don’t seem to have the skills to lead or inspire us. This book invites us to think about these and other things. The true leader is not always known for his talent or his technical mastery. In fact, we may not have it ourselves in our attempt to succeed in a particular setting by leading a group of people. Despite our strengths and technical skills, we may not convey enough energy and passion.

We lack certain skills to create effective leadership to properly manage emotions. And to promote positive feelings in a team. Just as Goleman explained, it’s all about creating resonance. This book should always be on our bookshelf because it can truly inspire us and we can learn a lot from it.

7. A Compass for Emotional Navigators by Elsa Punset

This book is a little pearl that pleases us in any situation and at any time. It will no doubt inspire us to delve a little deeper into the concept of emotional intelligence. In this book, Elsa Punset immerses us in a more personal view of the subject. She does this through her own experiences in raising children and developing their adult personalities. Including all emotions and conflicts that may arise during this process. It’s more of a manual than a book. A personal journey explaining how to weather the storms of life. Where an emotional navigator will adjust his compass to guide him and find his balance and a blessing.

Finally

Some of our readers may be missing some books on this subject. A title that has been of great value to them at some point in their lives. And which undoubtedly means a lot more to them than the books on this list. On our way to improving and improving our emotional skills, these books are without a doubt a good place to start. They will help us to establish our roots, to open our eyes from our hearts.

Let’s take this opportunity to grow. To keep moving forward by reading more then don’t waste it either. Let’s strive for more and more experiences and seek opportunities to develop our emotional intelligence successfully.

Bibliography

Goleman, Daniel (1996) “Emotional Intelligence” Kairós

Bradberry, Travis. Greaves, Jean (2012) “Emotional Intelligence 2.0”, Connect

Maltz, Maxwell (2010) “Psycho-cybernetics: The secret of controlling and transforming your life”, Kairós

R. Covey Stephen (2015) “The 7 habits of highly effective people” Free Press

Punset, Elsa (2009) “Compass for emotional navegators”, Aguilar

Goleman, Daniel, Boyazakis Richard, McKeee, Annie (2017) “The resonant leader creates more” DeBolsillo