The Hidden Skill of Strong Leaders
There is something strong leaders all possess. This skill set enables them to understand the people they work with, respond to a situation in an appropriate manner and manage how their presence affects their business.
I am talking about Emotional Intelligence. According to the web definition, Emotional Intelligence is the ability to identify, assess and control the emotions of oneself, of others and of groups. The importance of EI cannot be understated for leaders. In fact, Daniel Goleman, author of “Emotional Intelligence,” found in his studies that Emotional Intelligence is twice as important in the workplace as IQ.
I believe it is possible to improve your Emotional Intelligence even if you are already very strong in this area. According to the Daniel Goleman model of EI, there are essentially five areas of Emotional Intelligence to examine, with each area building on the previous.
Self-Awareness: This includes understanding the power of your emotions, where they come from, how they drive your behavior and the ability to recognize them in yourself.
Self-Regulation: This includes recognizing your emotions as they occur and the ability to pause before acting (thinking before doing), as well as the ability to control how your emotions affect your moods.
Motivation: This is essentially your inspiration, the reason why you get up in the morning as a leader. This is what drives you in business beyond the money or status.
Empathy: This is your ability to recognize and understand the emotions of others, then react and interact with that person in the appropriate way depending on his or her emotional state.
Social Skill: This is the ability to build relationships, both personal and business, with others, then maintain and strengthen those relationships through common ground and rapport.
The first step to improving your emotional intelligence is evaluating and improving your self-awareness. One way to do so is to ask yourself a series of questions throughout the next week. These questions are based on a series by an inspirational leader recently featured in the Huffington Post.
- Are you aware of the effect your emotions have on the people around you?
- Do you know the effects of your physical state on your emotional state (lack of sleep, food, etc.)?
- Do you know what causes you stress or frustration?
- Do you frequently replenish your mind with relaxation?
- Do you consider the message your emotions are sending during business or personal interactions?
Consider these five questions, and you may be surprised at what you realize. Becoming more aware of your own emotions will improve your emotional intelligence and prepare you to improve the other four areas, as well.
Do you know a leader who has extremely strong Emotional Intelligence? What do you admire most about this person? Let me know in the comments!
Very beneficial information. I have four out of five traits..will need to make conscientious effort to work on social skills! Thanks Ryan.
Thank You, Ryan! You are an inspiration to the masses and highly appreciated as a leader!
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