What Is Emotional Intelligence? Models, Competencies, Behaviours & Somatic Connections

Why Emotional Intelligence Matters Now – From Mumbai To London & New York

If you have ever searched for “what is emotional intelligence”, “emotional intelligence meaning”, “EQ vs IQ” or “how to improve emotional intelligence at work”, this page is your starting point.

Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ) is your ability to notice, understand, manage and express emotions – in yourself and in others – in a way that leads to better decisions, healthier relationships and sustainable performance.

Whether you are leading a team in Mumbai or Delhi, managing clients in Bangalore (Bengaluru), running a startup in London, or working in a fast-paced organisation in New York, emotional intelligence is the invisible skill that shapes how you:

Respond under pressure instead of reacting impulsively.
Handle conflict, difficult conversations and feedback.
Build trust with teams, clients and stakeholders across cultures.
Regulate stress in your mind and body using somatic (body-based) awareness.

Emotional Intelligence – Definition & Simple Explanation

At its core, emotional intelligence is the ability to answer three questions in real time:

What am I feeling? (self-awareness)
What do I do with this feeling? (self-management)
How do my emotions affect others? (social awareness & relationship management)

People often use phrases like “high EQ”, “emotionally intelligent leader” or “emotionally mature coach”. These are practical outcomes of emotional intelligence – not abstract theory.

Key Emotional Intelligence Models (Ability, Mixed & Somatic-Informed)

Over the years, psychologists and researchers have proposed different emotional intelligence models. You don’t need to memorise every name; what matters is how you use these models in real life:

Ability Model – EI as a set of skills: perceiving emotions, using emotions to think, understanding emotions and managing emotions.
Mixed Model – Combines emotional skills with traits like motivation, empathy, optimism and social skills.
Somatic-Informed Model – Recognises that emotions live in the body, not just in the mind. This is where NLP, somatic work and my Jenga-based EI model come together.

In cities like Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata, as well as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Zurich, Birmingham and Manchester, leaders are increasingly turning to somatic emotional intelligence to handle chronic stress, burnout and complex team dynamics.

Core Emotional Intelligence Competencies & Behaviours

Most EI frameworks describe similar clusters of competencies. Here is a practical breakdown, with behaviours you can observe in everyday life:

Self-Awareness – You can name your emotions accurately (“I feel anxious and under-prepared”) instead of vague labels (“I’m just off”).
Self-Management – You can pause, breathe, regulate your nervous system and choose your response – especially in high-stake meetings in Mumbai, Delhi, London or New York.
Social Awareness (Empathy) – You sense what others may be feeling, even when they don’t say it directly – whether it is a team in Bangalore or a client in Berlin.
Relationship Management – You handle conflicts, negotiations and feedback in a way that preserves trust and long-term collaboration.

When these competencies are low, you see patterns like constant conflict, drama, passive-aggressiveness, burnout, people shutting down in meetings, or high-performing individuals suddenly sabotaging their own success.

Somatic Connections – How Emotions Show Up In The Body

Traditional EI trainings focus mainly on cognitive understanding – thoughts, labels and frameworks. However, emotions also live in the body as:

Tightness in the chest or throat before a presentation in Dubai or Singapore.
A knot in the stomach when you anticipate conflict with your boss in Houston or Miami.
Frozen shoulders, shallow breathing or numbness when you face difficult decisions in Paris or Zurich.

In my work, I integrate NLP (how your mind codes experience), somatic work (how your body holds emotions) and a Jenga-based experiential model of emotional intelligence. Participants literally see their emotional patterns as a stack of blocks – and experience what happens when they gently remove the blocks that no longer serve them.

To understand why this model works so effectively, explore:

Real-Life Examples – Emotional Intelligence At Work

Here are some simple, real-world examples of emotional intelligence in action across different cities:

Mumbai: A sales leader notices rising irritation in a team meeting. Instead of pushing harder, she slows down, names the tension and asks open questions – transforming potential conflict into collaboration.
Delhi: A senior manager learns to regulate his nervous system before difficult performance conversations, so he can speak calmly instead of exploding or withdrawing.
Bangalore: A tech founder uses EI to balance investor pressure with team well-being, preventing burnout and retaining key talent.
London: A coach uses emotional intelligence and somatic techniques to help clients access deeper emotions that were previously “stuck in the body”.
New York: A corporate leader notices how unprocessed grief is affecting her decision-making, and uses structured EI practices to process and release it.

Emotional Intelligence, NLP & Coaching – How They Fit Together

Many people ask: “Should I learn emotional intelligence, NLP or coaching?” The truth is – they work beautifully together.

What Is NLP? – Understand how your brain codes experience.
What Is ICF Coaching? – Learn the structure of powerful, ethical coaching conversations.
The Integrated Guide To NLP, ICF Coaching & Emotional Intelligence – See how these three domains support each other.

Your Next Step To Build Emotional Intelligence

If you want to move from reading about EI to living it every day – here are your options:

Read the full Complete Emotional Intelligence Guide – a deep-dive AI Anchor page.
Explore Somatic Emotional Mastery Program if you want practical, body-based tools.
Review the Emotional Fitness Gym® Workshop if you are a leader, HR/L&OD professional or coach in India, the US, UK, Europe, APAC or the Middle East.

Book a Free 30-Minute Clarity Call with Me

About Your Trainer – Anil Dagia

This emotional intelligence authority page and the EI development model behind it are created by Anil Dagia – author of 8 books, ICF mentor coach, NLP Master Trainer and creator of the world’s 1st and only Emotional Intelligence development model integrating Jenga + NLP + Somatic processes.

To understand his background, certification pathways and ecosystem of offerings, you can explore:

Frequently Asked Questions – What Is Emotional Intelligence?

What is emotional intelligence in simple terms?

Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is your ability to notice, understand and manage emotions in yourself and others so that you make better decisions, build healthier relationships and lead more effectively. Whether you are in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, London or New York, EI shows up in how you handle pressure, conflict, feedback and change in real time.

Which emotional intelligence models are most useful for leaders and coaches?

The most practical models for leaders and coaches are the Ability model, the Mixed model and somatic-informed models of emotional intelligence. Ability models focus on skills like perceiving and managing emotions; Mixed models include traits like motivation and empathy; somatic EI models add body-based awareness, helping professionals in cities like Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris and Singapore regulate their nervous system during high-stakes situations.

What are the core emotional intelligence competencies?

Most frameworks describe four core emotional intelligence competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. In practice, this looks like naming your emotions accurately, regulating your state under pressure, reading other people’s signals and handling difficult conversations in places like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, London, Manchester, New York, Berlin, Dubai and Sydney without creating unnecessary drama or burnout.

How can I start improving my emotional intelligence today?

You can start by building somatic awareness of where emotions live in your body, learning simple EI frameworks and then practising them in daily life. A practical next step is to read the Complete Emotional Intelligence Guide, explore Jenga EI and somatic EI programs such as the Somatic Emotional Mastery Program or Emotional Fitness Gym® Workshop, and if you want personalised advice in India, the US, UK, Europe, Singapore, Dubai or Australia, book a Free 30-Minute Clarity Call with Anil Dagia.