What is Emotional Quotient (EQ)/Emotional Intelligence, and why is it a critical trait for leaders to possess?

Emotional Quotient (EQ), also referred to as Emotional Intelligence, has been defined to mean the levels of self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management, that an individual has.  High levels of all of these 4 EQ traits are important qualities for a effective managers. Essentially, someone with high EQ is very aware of how they are perceived, but just as importantly, they have an innate ability to discern others' feelings and motivations. Leaders with high EQ are interested in learning about what makes their employees tick, and they are aware that many people have completely different motivations. For example, a manager with high EQ understands that even though they may not personally be motivated primarily by receiving positive feedback, that if someone on their team becomes extremely motivated by praise for a job well done, they must make sure they are regularly delivering the kudos that employee thrives on.  In the past, there was a lot of focus on IQ, and while that can be a quality of a good manager, it is often more of the 'intangibles' of EQ and other personality traits that define an inspirational leader.