5 Reasons Leaders Need Emotional Intelligence

For decades, importance was put on our knowledge and technical skills. Some of my clients working in leadership positions shared with me that they have been taught to ignore their emotions and the emotions of their coworkers.

However, Daniel Goleman concluded in his research that a person’s personal and interpersonal skills carried much more weight than a person’s IQ. He concluded that IQ only counts for between 4 and 10% of factors that determine career success.

New technologies taken over most of our analytical thinking, however, it is inconceivable that they can replace our human capabilities like feeling, relationship building or empathy to any major degree. As Daniel Pink mentions in his book, The Whole New Mind, while left brain activities still matter, they are not enough. The right brain grabbed the power. What will distinguish leaders in the coming years are their ability to understand what makes their coworkers tick, and how meaning is more important than accumulation.

Emotional Intelligence Coaching helps strengthen our key soft and people skills. It helps develop better self-awareness, learn more about how our emotions influence our thinking and decision making, and how to master them to achieve a better outcome for ourselves and others.

Here are the major 5 Emotional Intelligence skills to master to achieve better success, communicate better and build better relationships:

1) Self-awareness

Being clear about who we truly are, what are our strengths, and our values. Understand our own emotions and their effect on others. Many leaders have excellent industry expertise and technical knowledge, but not enough intrinsic skills.

2) Self-regulation

The ability to control our emotions, e.g. thinking before reacting quickly, adapting to change, taking responsibility for our emotional reactions. We know from neuroscience studies that emotions play a critical role in influencing and guiding our thinking and behavior. If we have trouble identifying our emotions, especially in stressful situations, we will have more trouble in staying focused, and so we will experience more anxiety and overreact.

3) Empathy

It is essential to master how to put yourself in another person’s shoes and try to see the world from other person’s viewpoint. Try to understand the pressures, responsibilities, and demands placed upon the other person, perceive their emotions, as well as take an interest in their concerns.

4) Social skills

Know how to manage relationships and influence the emotions of others productively e.g.. effective listening, the ability to guide and inspire others, show your recognition and use more personal forms of communication, rather than hiding yourself being the digital connection. People need human contact, being listened and recognized.

5) Be Present

I have many times saw coworkers coming to share their important information with their coworker and the other person is not even looking at him/her and checking the email box and not listening what the other person says.

When you are in the presence of another person, put your mobile phone or tablet away and give the person your full attention. Listen carefully, establish a direct eye contact and don’t interrupt. It seems so easy, but in this digital, fast age, it has become a real challenge.

Emotional Intelligence is not static and can be developed to help you become a better leader. So, do not hesitate to boost your EQ (Emotional Quotient) by taking an emotional intelligence assessment and strengthening your emotional intelligence skills to become a world-class leader.