Which emotional intelligence skill emphasizes the ability to understand others' emotions?

The skill of empathy focuses on the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It involves not only recognizing what someone else is experiencing emotionally but also being able to respond appropriately to those feelings. Empathy is crucial in emotional intelligence as it allows individuals to connect on a deeper level, fostering closer relationships, effective communication, and a supportive environment.

When individuals possess strong empathetic skills, they can listen actively, offer support, and react sensitively to the emotions of others, which enhances collaboration and strengthens interpersonal connections. This makes empathy a foundational emotional intelligence skill, especially in social interactions and professional settings.

In contrast, emotional self-control pertains to managing one's own emotions rather than understanding others. Conflict management focuses on resolving disputes and may require empathy, but it is more about the strategy of addressing conflict than about emotional understanding itself. Teamwork involves collaborating effectively with others, which can benefit from empathy but is broader in scope and doesn't specifically target emotional understanding. Therefore, empathy is the skill that directly emphasizes the ability to understand others' emotions.