Tips for Developing Emotional Intelligence in Leaders
What comes to mind when you think of a “perfect leader?”
You might picture someone who is never upset with their temper, no matter what the situation is. Or, perhaps someone who is easy to talk to, listens to her staff and makes careful, informed decisions would be a more suitable candidate.
Leading effectively boosts morale among teams, creates positive relationships in the workplace, and prepares others for new challenges in a confident manner. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a prerequisite for all of these skills. What emotional intelligence is in leadership and how to develop it will be discussed in this article.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence, or EI, is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as those of others. Emotionally intelligent people know what they’re feeling, what their emotions mean, and how their emotions can affect others.
Emotional intelligence is essential for leaders. When under stress, who is more likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at his team, or a leader who stays calm and assesses the situation calmly? Leaders who are emotionally intelligent practice self-awareness, regulate their emotions and express their feelings clearly. They know how to gauge what their colleagues and team members want and expect.
Whether you’re trying to become a leader or want to enhance your current leadership skills, emotional intelligence can help you build relationships at work. Having emotional intelligence will help you maintain calm during stressful situations, communicate effectively during conflicts, and show employees empathy.
Why is Emotional Intelligence Important?
The process of leading others to achieve a goal is called leadership. Through emotional intelligence, leaders can better understand themselves and their employees. The ability to use emotional intelligence in leadership facilitates collaboration and communication among team members. Leadership within an organization can be set by the way you relate to others. Employees with low emotional intelligence are less engaged and have higher turnover rates.
The Four Components of Emotional Intelligence You Need to Develop
The four core competencies of emotional intelligence are as follows:
- Develop mindfulness for self-awareness
- Practice keeping your impulses in check
- Pay attention to body language
- Learn how to resolve conflicts
For enhanced leadership skills, develop these four qualities:
01: Develop Mindfulness for Self-awareness
At the core of everything is self-awareness. It refers to your ability to not only recognize your strengths and weaknesses but also to recognize your emotions and the impact they have on you.
Develop self-awareness by reflecting on the emotions you are experiencing and by learning techniques to change your mood. Individuals who are emotionally intelligent take a deep breath and try to resolve the causes of stress instead of allowing them to control their decisions. The ability to be aware of one’s emotions is invaluable to a business leader who influences attitudes at work.
For example, you work hard on completing a project and your colleague gives you constructive feedback about it. Mentally record your feelings and the reasons you feel this way in order to develop your self-awareness. Look at the negative feedback versus the positive feedback if you only take note of that. As a result, you can now look at your co-worker’s critiques objectively and realize your colleague simply wanted to assist you in improving your project.
02: Practice Keeping Your Impulses in Check
A leader who is successful at managing himself or herself effectively rarely verbally attacks others makes rushed or emotional decisions, stereotypes people, or compromises his or her values. Staying in control is the key to self-management. Practice it by exploring your own values, holding yourself accountable or admitting mistakes, and doing deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself.
03: Pay Attention to Body Language
Sometimes you might cross your arms as you listen to someone, move your feet around, or bite your lip. It conveys the message that you are not feeling positive about a situation, and your body language does just that! If you understand how the body language of others is conveying their true feelings, you will be a better leader. You can then respond appropriately.
04: Learn how to resolve conflicts
Leaders need to know how to resolve conflicts between team members, vendors, and customers. The ability to resolve conflicts is essential to your success.
Concluding Thoughts:
Leadership sets the tone for an organization. The effect of their lack of emotional intelligence may be more widespread, leading to less employee engagement and higher turnover.
That being said, leadership requires a thorough understanding of how one’s emotions and actions affect others. The better a leader relates to others and works with them, the more successful they will be. Take the time to work on developing the skills stated here because working on these skills development will help you excel in the future!
Do you want to enhance your leadership skills? Feel free to consult leadership management experts at Promise Training & Consultancy, where you can avail of both virtual-led training and classroom training. Each course is designed and personalized for corporate training solutions. Get more details here
Leave a reply