How is mental toughness different from emotional intelligence?
People who are familiar with emotional intelligence sometimes challenge me about how mental toughness is different. There are some common elements, but there are fundamental differences that mean that they should be treated as two separate disciplines. The notion of emotional intelligence was originally developed in the 1970s and 80s but was not brought to the attention of a non-academic audience until the publication of Daniel Goleman’s book, Emotional Intelligence, in 1995. Since then emotional intelligence has been the subject of several refinements and modifications by others who have also realised its potential to help business executives to function better in organisational contexts. Emotional intelligence is based on the premise that academic intelligence, otherwise known as IQ, does not necessarily predict success in a business context. Proponents argue, instead, that emotional intelligence is the better predictor since it includes essential awareness and behavioural elements t
