Realistic, Investigative, analytical
skills and vision are some qualities often associated with the best managers
and organizational leaders. Nevertheless, the overlooked element contained in
the most effective leaders is perhaps the most critical: emotional Quotient.
Emotional Quotient (sometimes referred to as EI or EQ) is the ability to
understand, manage, and establish your feelings, while at the same time being
able to understand and manipulate the feelings of others. Emotional
intelligence goes beyond the administrative nuts and bolts of becoming a successful
leader and explores how your feelings influence others and how you can use that
information to create positive outcomes.
For leaders, possessing emotional intelligence is essential to success. Think
about it: who is more likely to succeed in moving forward the company–a leader
who cries out to his team when under stress, or someone who remains in control
of their feelings and those of others, and calmly assesses the situation?
In other words, a leader who can develop goals that people are excited about,
get others excited about their work, generate confidence and positivity in the
workplace, implement flexibility and a "go with the flow" attitude,
and share a meaningful organizational identity with the organization members is
likely to be a very successful leader.
According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped
popularize emotional intelligence, there are four key elements to it:
Self-awareness- Self-awareness is at the root of everything. It
defines your ability not only to consider your strengths and weaknesses but
also to identify your emotions and the effect they have on you and your teams
success.
Self-regulation- Self-regulation prevents you from exploiting your
leadership position by criticizing and/or stereotyping others and making hasty
or whimsical decisions that undermine your beliefs. This calls on you to keep
control of your feelings and how they affect others and to remain committed to
personal responsibility.
Social Awareness- Although it is necessary to understand and control
your own emotions, you do need to know how to read a room. Social knowledge
defines the ability to understand other peoples feelings and dynamics in action
within the organization.
EmpathyEmpathy is what allows you to put yourself in other people’s shows and consider their unique perspectives. This is very important when it comes to successfully leading a team or organization. Empathy is exercised by those who excel in social consciousness. We seek to consider the thoughts and experiences of their colleagues, allowing them to interact and collaborate more effectively with their peers.
Leaders with empathy actively support the career and personal growth of their
team members, offer criticism without crushing the recipient, and solicit
regular feedback from their employees. Such leaders are what it takes to
motivate employees to perform above expectations.
Motivation
Leaders are motivated and formulate a goal that they consistently work toward.
They hold themselves to a high standard and take the initiative when needed.
Why Emotional Quotient Matters
Leaders set the stage of their organization. If emotional intelligence
is missing, it may have more impact, resulting in lower employee engagement and
higher turnover.
When a leader is emotionally aware, they can use emotions to move the company
forward. Leaders also must make significant improvements to the organization,
and if they are aware of the potential emotional reactions of others to these
improvements, they will organize and prepare the most effective ways to
implement them. Emotionally intelligent leaders cultivate a healthy atmosphere
where workers feel confident taking calculated chances, proposing suggestions
and sharing their opinions. Operating collaboratively in such a healthy setting
is not only a goal, but is incorporated into the corporate culture as a whole.
Therefore, emotionally knowledgeable leaders do not take things on their own
and can follow strategies without thinking about the effect on their egos.
Personal vendettas between leaders and workers are one of the most common
obstacles to efficiency in many workplaces.
Although you might be technically outstanding at your job, if you cannot
effectively interact with your team or collaborate with others, certain
technological skills may be ignored. By mastering emotional intelligence, you
will continue to advance your career and your company.
Thank you for reading! I hope this journey into the world of emotional
intelligence and its importance in leadership performance has been enjoyed by
you.
In case you are facing any issue in life, contact New Directions Counselling services for online counselling.