What is Emotional Intelligence? a #straightfromcait episode

In this episode of FRIED: The Burnout Podcast, Cait Donovan answers a question she gets asked constantly by leaders and executives: what does emotional intelligence actually mean? Cait traces the term back to its 1990 origins with psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer, then walks through the four domain model made famous by Daniel Goleman: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. She explains why these are not personality traits but trainable skills, and why self-awareness, the foundation the other three domains are built on, is where most leaders are quietly getting it wrong. Citing organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich's research, Cait reveals that while 95 percent of people believe they are self-aware, only 10 to 15 percent actually are. She also shares a simple language shift, asking what instead of why after an emotional reaction, that moves people out of self-justification and into real understanding. If you have ever been handed emotional intelligence as a leadership competency with no explanation of what it means, this episode gives you the clear, practical definition and a place to start.