Jack Smith, Founder and CEO, Fortuna Business Management Consulting.
To show up strong and lead in the best way, you need to work on your emotional intelligence. In my experience, this is the best change you can make to become a better leader and build stronger relationships with your workers and clients. But what is the source of emotional intelligence? How do people in charge learn to use it?
Emotional intelligence comes from both nature and culture. It comes out in different ways in different leaders and managers, depending on a lot of factors. Emotional intelligence helps leaders, their teams and their organizations do better work when it is used wisely and with care. When it is used carelessly or intentionally, it can paralyze leaders or see them use their followers for their own gain.
Research shows that people who are strong leaders are also more emotionally intelligent. It helps leaders be more self-aware, take more responsibility, communicate better and build trusting relationships. Leaders who can deal with their feelings in a more positive way can also deal with problems more effectively.
Not only does having a high EQ make you a better leader, but it also helps others. A leader who knows themselves well can feel the emotional needs of their employees and act on that information. This type of leader can inspire a team to become highly engaged and proud of their work.
Since not everyone is born with it, many of us must work to get better over time. The good news is that you can learn and improve your EQ. Here’s how:
Think before you act.
Learn to hear what others say. When we listen, we can better understand what other people want and how they feel. This allows for more clear thinking and reflection to happen. You stop thinking about your own wants and start thinking about everyone else’s, which can help you find better solutions that help more people.
Keep your thoughts in check.
We can’t change what happens to us or how we feel in the moment, but we can change how we react to what happens to us if we practice directing our thinking. Instead of blaming yourself or someone else when something bad happens, try to figure out why it happened.
Work to understand other perspectives.
When you don’t agree with someone, you should think about how their needs, motivations and feelings may be shaping their priorities and views. Ask them why they think the way they do and try to understand what they mean. When someone hurts you or makes you angry, talk to them in a calm, non-threatening way. This can help you both understand what happened and avoid future problems.
Give people praise.
When you praise other people on a regular basis, you train your brain to look for the good. This makes you more empathetic and helps you understand other people’s needs and goals. Praise also makes it easier to have serious conversations about hard topics because it makes people less defensive and more open.
Never stop improving.
Criticism can sometimes be upsetting, but it’s helpful because it lets us see things from a different point of view. When you get feedback, ask yourself, “How can I improve and grow from this?” Always assume there’s room for improvement.
In conclusion, EQ is a necessary tool that helps people with very different situations and needs to find answers. I believe that business leaders who value EQ as much as IQ are bound for success.
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