Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand our own emotions and the emotions of others.
Psychologist Daniel Goleman coined the term in 1995 in his ground-breaking bestselling book, ‘Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ.’ Since then, many studies have discovered that EQ is the most important quality for effective leadership. An emotionally intelligent person not only knows how to manage their emotions, but they are aware of how their emotions affect others, and therefore act accordingly when in a social setting. According to Goldman, emotional intelligence is made up of five key components, self-awareness, empathy, motivation, social skills, and self-regulation. The better you are at managing these areas, the more emotionally intelligent you will become. Here are five ways emotional intelligence can make you a better leader.
1) Better Self-Awareness
It’s difficult to understand the people around you when you don’t understand yourself. Goldman argues that self-awareness is one of the most important elements of emotional intelligence because it gives you the ability to tune into your emotions, you value yourself, and are clear about your personal strengths and weaknesses. When you value yourself, you value others and employees are more likely to give their best when they feel valued.
2) Lead With Empathy
If you want to get the most out of your team, lead with empathy. Empathetic leaders are capable of evaluating a situation from someone else’s point of view. They have the ability to feel the emotions of others, which in turn makes them feel understood. Most people don’t like bringing their problems to work, they may have several personal challenges, but ask how they’re doing and they’ll reply, “amazing.” But because empathetic people can tune into the emotions of others, they do not pay attention to simply what is said, they pay attention to the energy of the person’s emotions and continue the conversation based on what they sense the individual is feeling.
3) Increased Motivation
Emotionally intelligent people have the ability to motivate themselves. They have a strong personal drive that makes them committed to achieving their goals and improving themselves. They are optimistic and resilient and see obstacles as opportunities instead of hindrances. This motivation rubs off on their team and employees are more inclined to work to the best of their ability.
4) Better Social Skills
One of the most important elements of social skills is effective communication. It is an essential trait in leadership because they need to know how to communicate the vision and corporate strategy to their employees in a way that excites and motivates them to turn it into a reality. Additionally, there are a variety of personality types in the workplace and a good manager must be able to adapt their communication style to suit individual personalities.
5) Better Self-Regulation
Self-regulated individuals don’t make decisions based on their emotions. They are very rational, calm and measured; they think before they speak and maintain a high level of self-control at all times. Additionally, they are experts at stress management which is an essential quality in a high-paced work environment. A stressed-out leader equals a stressed-out workforce. When leaders are unable to manage their stress effectively, it has a trickle down effect. Stress in the workplace is inevitable, but how it’s managed will determine whether it works for or against you. A leader who screams at his/her employees when the numbers don’t add up damage the culture of the organization. People end up losing respect for management, the office becomes toxic and it affects productivity. But a leader with a system in place for stress management gains the trust and respect of their employees.
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