Emotional intelligence, Daniel Goleman

"...in navigating our lives, it is our fears and envies, our rages and depressions, our worries and anxieties that steer us day to day. Even the most academically brilliant among us are vulnerable to being undone by unruly emotions. The price we pay for emotional literacy is in failed marriages and troubled families, in stunted social and work lives, in deteriorating physical health and mental anguish and, as a society, in tragedies such as killings..." Daniel Goleman, 1994 

The five characteristics: 

Self-awareness--knowing your emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and discriminating between them 

Mood management--handling feelings so they're relevant to the current situation and you react appropriately 

Self-motivation--"gathering up" your feelings and directing yourself towards a goal, despite self-doubt, inertia, and impulsiveness 

Empathy--recognizing feelings in others and tuning into their verbal and nonverbal cues 

Managing relationships--handling interpersonal interaction, conflict resolution, and negotiations

More at Wikipedia.