Conscientiousness in emotional intelligence, key to success

Meticulous, self-demanding, efficient, careful… What image comes to mind when we describe someone with these characteristics? You may imagine the classic picky eater, someone who complains about minutiae and is somewhat obsessive. However, these qualities usually outline a personality trait of high value in human beings.

We talk about conscientiousness. Because Conscientious people show that type of behavioral diligence of those who know how to regulate their emotions to guide them towards a goal. They are persevering and effective figures who combine tranquility of character with responsibility and self-control.

So much so, that they are not only more likely to achieve their goals, but also to demonstrate better psychological well-being. Now, as always happens with personality traits, sometimes this characteristic can lead to its extreme and, then, obsessive and maladjusted behaviors appear.

However, those who maintain the most focused and self-regulated expression of this trait They also tend to demonstrate good strengths in emotional intelligence. We delve into the reason for this interesting link.

Conscientiousness is one of the personality traits of the Big Five model and one of the variables that is related to emotional intelligence.

Conscientiousness in emotional intelligence: how is it manifested?

Although we can all train ourselves and develop better skills in emotional intelligence, there are people who have a solid foundation in this factor. Since childhood and adolescence, they are very effective in managing and regulating emotions; also in their social skills and self-awareness. Is it genetics, perhaps? Actually, it is due to personality factors.

Conscientiousness in emotional intelligence forms a direct link that Salovey and Mayer already told us about in his theory published in 2016. The Big Five model, which analyzed the different dimensions of personality, described precisely this dimension as the basis of self-control. And it is that nuclear quality that facilitates many of the processes in the emotionally competent person.

Let’s now see what it is like, how it acts and how the man or woman with these characteristics reacts.

1. Responsibility and reliability: you can trust me to do what I say

The scrupulous person assumes his tasks with great responsibility and discipline. He commits not only to the goals he sets for himself, but also to the people around him. One of his qualities is being reliable personalities who can be trusted in almost any aspect. They never fail.

Their self-demand is not focused exclusively on achievement, on achieving goals, but on behaving correctly with others. They have very solid values. They do what they say and they are those presences that do not fail, who do not betray because their principles and conscientiousness do not allow it.

2. Impulse control: I reflect before speaking and acting

Conscientiousness in emotional intelligence is a highly valuable trait due to its good impulse control. His conscientious and meticulous behavior is explained by his skillful emotional self-regulation, This is a tool that allows them to always respond and act in a thoughtful and careful manner.

They will always act cautiously, calmly deliberate each option, and rarely say anything they haven’t thought about before. Something like this allows them not only to make better decisions, but also to always treat others respectfully.

3. Perseverance, goal-oriented motivation

When Daniel Goleman described the variables that drive emotional intelligence, he gave a relevant space to motivated behavior. This purpose-oriented state of mind makes it easier for us to better resist frustration, to combine efforts, ingenuity and focus towards what we want.

Motivation and perseverance are two sides of the same coin and both qualities reinforce each other. and they are possible thanks to a scrupulous personality. This is what the University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth explains to us, for example, in her book Grit: passion and perseverance, a work that describes the mechanisms that make it easier for us to achieve success.

4. Personal and relational self-care

Conscientiousness in emotional intelligence is not only a mechanism for social success, it is also a mechanism for mental well-being. The truth is We are facing a personality trait defined above all by a good internal locus of control. That is, the person understands that they are responsible for their own circumstances, their decisions and consequences.

This means that the discipline that defines them is also oriented towards caring for their quality of life and their social, emotional, family ties, etc. Taking care of one’s own well-being and that of others is also a purpose in which they invest effort and energy.. They know that happiness also requires effort and diligence and they are great experts in this.

Conscientious people score high in emotional intelligence and are high-value figures in companies.

Being conscientious is not being manic or obsessive; in fact, we are dealing with a little-understood personality trait. Companies can benefit significantly if they have employees with this characteristic on their staff. They combine efficiency with responsibility, diligence with the ability to achieve.

In addition, they are very competent figures in emotional intelligence and, as we well know, this competence threads the ability to create more harmonious, respectful, productive and also happy social environments.

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