An Introduction to Emotional Intelligence (Udemy.com)

Explore how your emotional intelligence influences how you perform, build relationships and make good quality decisions based on emotions.

What is it to be the best human being that you can be? 

Emotional intelligence is an aspect of you as a whole person affecting your work life and your personal life.

Your emotional intelligence is your ability to combine your thinking with your feelings in order to build good quality relationships and to make good authentic decisions. It is managing who you are in the moment to meet your emotional needs through conscious choice and is fundamental to leading a full, rich and rewarding life.

Emotional intelligence is different from IQ - cognitive intelligence, and offers a different perspective on success and performance at work.  There are many parts to emotional intelligence - it predicts effectiveness and can be changed and developed. 

Research suggests that emotional intelligence and cognitive intelligence (IQ) are unconnected: you can have a high level of emotional intelligence but a low level of cognitive intelligence, and vice versa.

Your emotional intelligence is your responsibility!  How you react and respond to events is governed by your emotional intelligence.  You can work to develop your emotional intelligence, but this is not easy. 

This course explores little known ways that emotional intelligence can be used in the workplace by investigating what it is and what it is not. It covers the main models of emotional intelligence and what they mean but more importantly how they can be practically applied at work.

The course resolves any confusion you may have around some of the terminology used in various emotional intelligence courses, such as what is the difference between EI and EQ?  You'll get to understand why EI is a broader term that covers emotional intelligence in much more depth. 

People often talk about positive and negative emotions.  This is not that helpful as emotions cannot really be labelled in that way.  The course also covers the myths around positive and negative emotions and why this terminology is not appropriate when working to understand emotions and emotional intelligence in the workplace. 

The course investigates the advantages and disadvantages of emotional intelligence, ways it can be improved and some do's and don'ts of working with emotional intelligence in the workplace.  It will test your emotional intelligence! 

Changing the way that you work with your emotions and working with your emotional intelligence is not easy.  This course will give you some insights BUT developing your emotional intelligence will take you time and a lot of effort, and even then you are not going to get it right all the time!!  Emotional intelligence is about improving performance, engagement and well being in a sustainable way, so that it sticks.

By completing this course, you will be able to

• Identify what emotional intelligence is and what it is not

• Explain what emotional intelligence is and why it is important

• Explain the difference between Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Emotional Intelligence (EI)

• Describe how emotional intelligence differences from other intelligences

• Recognise how and why emotions are important

• List some emotional intelligence competencies that can be developed

The course contains narrated videos, quizzes and some fun material to download - including a series of complementary resource cards. 

• The course contains some insights from one of the key researchers in the field of emotional intelligence - Dr. David Caruso from Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence.  He shares his views on the subject and some insights into emotional intelligence as an ability.

The course material makes up part of a one day workshop endorsed by the Institute of Leadership and Management.  It is equivalent to about 8 hour's CPD  training.

PLEASE NOTE - This course is NOT for you if you are not prepared to work through the practical activities that make up a fundamental part of the course.  Emotional intelligence cannot be developed by learning some techniques through watching a few video lectures.  The course requires you to do some reflective thinking, to get some feedback and to discuss your development with others.  I'm afraid that you won't get the best from the course unless you are prepared to do this.

This course is being continually refined and updated to ensure it remains current and relevant.

There are THREE interactive practical activities included within the course that are designed to help you to develop your emotional intelligence. 

1. Reflecting About This Course

2. Assessing your Emotional Intelligence

3. Three Good Things

These activities involve some interaction with other people and some reflection outside of the course.  They are designed to help you find out how you are using your emotional intelligence in the workplace, how you view your emotional intelligence and how others view your emotional intelligence.   You will be guided on what and how you need to change.  The emotional brain learns from doing things and through activity.  Repetition and rehearsal over weeks will embed in changes.

Every learner taking the course has the chance to win a valuable prize, access to podcasts, a magazine on emotional intelligence and access to many other resources to develop emotional intelligence.

The course contains a series of Lightbulb Moments resource cards, which have been created to provide you with handy reminders of key points around topics covered within the course.

All PDFs can be completed online and are Section 508 / ADA Accessibility compliant.

All videos are recorded in High Definition 1080p.

All videos have grammatically correct English captions.

Latest update - September 2026

Learning Outcomes

1. Recognise the importance of understanding the emotions that you experience

2. Differentiate between emotions and feelings

3. Ascertain the data or information in emotions and ways to use this effectively

4. Examine how to practise and learn how to develop emotional intelligence