Being able to know what you’re feeling and why (self-awareness) contributes to the next component of emotional intelligence—self-management.

Self-management is the ability to keep disruptive emotions and impulses under control.

Daniel Goleman’s research has found that individuals who are proficient at self-management have these competencies:

Emotional self-control: You stay calm under pressure and recover quickly from upsets. You know how to balance your feelings for the good of yourself and others, or for the good of a given task, mission or vision.

Adaptability: This shows up as agility in the face of change and uncertainty. You’re able to find new ways of dealing with fast-morphing challenges and can balance multiple demands at once.

Achievement orientation: You strive to meet or exceed a standard of excellence. You genuinely appreciate feedback on your performance, and are constantly seeking ways to do things better.

Positive outlook: You see the good in people, situations and events. This is an incredibly valuable competency, as it can build resilience and set the stage for innovation and opportunity.

This is a concise and powerful list of competencies you’d want to see in every real estate agent on your team and every recruiting prospect you hire.

Why? According to Dr. Goleman, high performers from every industry tend to have these characteristics.