Introduction: Find Your Optimal Zone

Part 1: Emotional Intelligence for High Performance

Chapter 1 Self-Optimization
Chapter 2: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters

Part 2: Emotional Intelligence Theory

Chapter 3: The Return of Emotional Intelligence
Chapter 4: Awaken a Healthy Self-Awareness
Chapter 5 Self-Management Strategies
Chapter 6: Beyond Burnout to Resilience
Chapter 7: The Art of Empathy
Chapter 8: Human Relationship Strategies

Part 3: Emotional Intelligence in Practice

Chapter 9: The Many Names of Emotional Intelligence
Chapter 10: Lead with Emotional Intelligence
Chapter 11: Teams with High Emotional Intelligence
Chapter 12: Effective Emotional Intelligence Education
Chapter 13: Emotional Intelligence as Culture

Part 4: The Future of Emotional Intelligence

Chapter 14: Combinations that Create Synergy
Chapter 15: Innovation and Systems

Acknowledgements
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Emotions shake the day, and a day changes a life.
Ultimately, if you manage your emotions well and change your day for the better, your life will change!
Design your optimal day by leveraging your emotional intelligence, the driving force behind life change!

There are days when I wake up in the morning with a heavy heart and can't focus on work even when I go to work.
Even the smallest things can cause waves of emotion to rise and dominate the day, making communication with people difficult.
As a result, work is delayed and relationships become strained.
Conversely, on days when I'm in good condition and focused, for reasons that aren't clear, even small tasks go smoothly and communication with people flows smoothly.
Where does this difference, which we all experience, come from? Is it due to the state of immersion that sometimes comes without intention? Absolutely not.
This book, Optimal, provides an answer to that difference.

Authors Daniel Goleman and Carrie Cherness, drawing on decades of research and case studies, argue that while flow is a gift that comes by chance, optimal states can be consciously created.
And I strongly argue that emotional intelligence (EQ) capabilities are absolutely essential to reach optimal levels.
What we need to live each day without wavering is not IQ or talent, but emotional intelligence.
No matter how smart you are, if you can't control your emotions and maintain good relationships with others, your achievements and your entire life can easily fall apart.
Conversely, if you properly utilize your emotional intelligence capabilities and enter an optimal state of managing your emotions and relationships, you will be able to repeat optimal days and continue to achieve and grow better.

The authors say that the four core competencies of emotional intelligence are the power that enables optimal performance.
Self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship management are the four core competencies.
There is also an abundance of research results supporting this.
Leaders and teams with high emotional intelligence experience greater job satisfaction, lower turnover, greater focus and confidence, and consistently deliver results and thrive.
Additionally, individuals with high emotional intelligence capabilities are more resilient, more able to overcome burnout, and achieve greater results through collaboration with others.
In other words, if you can develop your emotional intelligence skills well and fully utilize them, your life can change.

Furthermore, "Optimal" does not leave emotional intelligence as an abstract concept, but connects theory and practice, offering methods that readers can immediately apply to their own lives.
Drawing on a wealth of research and real-world examples, the authors offer concrete guidance on how to manage your emotions and relationships to improve the quality of your day.
How to collaborate in the workplace, small habits that restore emotions in everyday life, strategies to strengthen leadership and teamwork, etc.
Readers can create their own "optimal state" by using the practical methods presented in the book.

This book emphasizes that emotional intelligence goes beyond the individual and organizational levels and is connected to systems thinking.
The organizations and communities we belong to are intertwined with countless relationships and interactions, and the emotions and actions of one person can have a chain reaction that affects the entire nation and society.
Therefore, emotional intelligence is not simply an individual capacity; it is a systemic capacity that ripples across relationships, organizational culture, and even society as a whole. Systems thinking based on EQ can mitigate structural conflicts, foster greater collaboration, and be leveraged to address societal and global issues.
In other words, emotional intelligence has the potential to help not only individuals and organizations, but everyone on the planet achieve long-term success and growth.

Ultimately, this book, Optimal, proves that emotional intelligence is a strategic tool that can lead to individual happiness and organizational performance, while simultaneously solving global problems.
If you dream of a life that reduces burnout, increases fulfillment, and is filled with balance and meaning, this book will be the perfect guide to achieving your dream life.