As the call began, Ivan (not his real name), the CEO of a B2B tech company, exchanged pleasantries with a tech analyst at a marquee firm. He answered initial questions matter-of-factly until the analyst began to question the viability and market need of the product being discussed. Ivan’s voice grew increasingly loud, tinged by anger, until he yelled, “You call yourself an analyst? You don’t know what you’re talking about!” and then hung up.

This is not what you’d call a good first impression.

Being able to understand and control your emotions and recognize and influence those of others is known as emotional intelligence (EI). In the leadership realm, it has received increasing recognition as a crucial skill for effective management and team building, partly because of how powerfully it influences motivation and performance.