The Emotional Intelligence She (Amy Cooper) Lacks

Emotional intelligence (EQ) involves intrinsic morality that Amy Cooper seems to lack. This is not only important because of how her behavior played out this weekend, and how the incident could’ve ended, but because she’s a leader in her organization. A VP presumably with a number of direct reports, who look to her for direction, fair treatment, and trusts that she has their back.

Honestly, this weekend’s behavior should raise some eyebrows in HR and the C-Suite. Not just because of how bad she looks, but because her lack of emotional intelligence is not isolated to an incident in the park. People who are deficient in social responsibility are often antisocial and act abusively toward others. Therefore, chances are overwhelming that Amy habitually makes harmful decisions (think, giving low performance reviews or not providing opportunities for advancement), and lashes out at employees when she doesn’t like/respect them.

Unfortunately for Amy, she is unaccustomed to paying attention to her internal state. In that moment, she probably had no idea how angry and vindictive she was being, even though anyone watching the video can clearly see. What should’ve been a, “Sure. Sorry, I didn’t think anyone else was around,” became feelings of, and subsequent acts of malice, for which she was incapable of recognizing, let alone control. Her anger and inability to see the issue realistically, another EQ skill, made it impossible for her to act in her own best interest, and as a result she may now be out of a job and without that cute little fur baby.