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Are you aware of the Fourth Industrial Revolution? According to the World Economic Forum, this ongoing revolution is changing the skills required to succeed in the workplace. And what’s noteworthy: Emotional intelligence will become one of the top skills needed by everyone.

A Brief History

The First Industrial Revolution (roughly 1760 to 1841) improved mechanical production by applying water and steam power. The Second (1870 to 1914) capitalized on the First, adding electric power and assembly lines for mass production. The Third (beginning in the 1980s) introduced electronics and information technology to automate production. And now, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is fusing technologies that blur the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres.

By 2020, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is predicted to produce further advancements in robotics, autonomous transport, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, biotechnology and more. We’ll have smart systems—in homes, farms, factories, etc.—and a powerful sharing economy.

How to Adapt to the Future

In preparation for this transformation, the World Economic Forum published a report last year, titled “The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” as a call to action to help governments, businesses and individuals adapt their workforce skillset to the future. The report tapped leading chief human resources and strategy officers from around the world to identify what the shift means, specifically in regard to employment, skills and recruitment across industries and geographies. Here’s the 2020 list of top core work-related skills for comparison with the list from 2015:

Of particular importance to us at SIYLI is that out of these 10 competencies, four are purely social skills: coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, negotiation and service orientation.

The World Economic Forum defines these four skills:

  • Coordinating with Others: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
  • Emotional Intelligence: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Negotiation: Bringing other together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Emotional Intelligence

All of these traits rely heavily on emotional intelligence, skills that can be learnt through mindfulness and the teachings of Search Inside Yourself. And if the recommendations of The World Economic Forum aren’t enough to convince you to adapt, or if you’re thinking that genius alone might suffice, research reinforces that people with strong emotional intelligence are more likely to succeed than those with high IQs or relevant experience.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is actually an emotional intelligence revolution. Does your skillset meet the prerequisites for success in 2020 and beyond?