Emotional intelligence is divided into different categories. Within each category are several competencies or skills that influence a person’s ability to cope with life’s pressures and demands. Reuven Bar-On, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin and world-renowned EI expert, developed a model that demonstrates how four categories of EI—intrapersonal, interpersonal, adaptability, and stress management—directly affect general mood and lead to effective performance (see Figure 3.1).

Let’s take a closer look at the specific skills and competencies within the categories that Bar-On has identified as the pieces that make up a person’s emotional intelligence.² It’s something like a jigsaw puzzle, and when you have put all the pieces together, you will begin to see yourself and others more clearly.