Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

 When you hear the phrase “ideal leader,” what comes to your mind first? You may be thinking of someone who does not allow themselves to lose control even in the most difficult situation. Or someone who knows how to listen has exceptional trust among subordinates and treats his team members with respect. So, these are all signs of a leader with a high level of emotional intelligence.

The emotions of company leaders are infectious. When a leader exudes energy and enthusiasm, the company thrives; when it sows destruction and disharmony - business goes to the bottom.

Emotional leaders - whether they be executives, managers, or politicians - are distinguished not only by professional skill and insight but also by the ability to connect with people: inspire, inspire, generate interest, maintain high motivation and dedication.

What is emotional intelligence?

It is the ability to understand and manage your emotions as well as those of other people. People with a high level of this intelligence know how they feel, understand these emotions, and know how they affect others.

For leaders, improving emotional intelligence is key. Who is more successful - the one who yells at subordinates for and without reason, or the one who remains calm in any situation and knows how to work effectively under pressure?

According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, there are five main elements of emotional intelligence:

1. Self-awareness.
2. Self-regulation (by the way, we have a separate course on it ).
3. Motivation.
4. Empathy.
5. Social skills.

You must nurture all of these elements to become a successful leader.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness

If you are aware, you always know how you feel and how emotions affect your actions and decisions. It also means understanding your strengths and weaknesses and being humble.

How can self-awareness be increased?

• Keep a diary. Take at least a few minutes a day to write down your thoughts and feelings.
• Slow down. When experiencing negative emotions, pause and consider why. Remember that no matter the situation, you are the one who decides how to react.

2. Self-regulation

People who have advanced in self-regulation are much less likely to enter into conflicts and make hasty emotional decisions. It's all about control.

How can you improve your self-regulation?

• Define your values. Do you have a clear idea of ​​when you will not compromise? Do you know your core values? Take the time and create your code of ethics.
• Monitor your reactions and thoughts. If you tend to criticize and blame others, stop.
• Practice staying calm. The next time you face a difficult situation, pay attention to how you are behaving. Maybe you are relieving your stress by yelling at someone? Use deep breathing techniques.

3. Motivation

Leaders who can motivate themselves and others achieve goals with ease.

How to increase your motivation?

• Think about why you are doing the job. It's easy to forget what we are doing and why. Perhaps this is your dream job, but you are still unhappy, and it is given to you with difficulty. You need to remember how lucky you are.
• Look at the big picture. Sometimes we go into too much detail, so we do not understand where we are. By looking at the big picture, we refresh our heads and get additional motivation.
• Be optimistic. Successful leaders are always optimistic; take their example.

4. Empathy

Empathic leaders can put themselves in the shoes of others. They are good at listening, giving feedback, and helping their team members emotionally.

How to increase your empathy?

• Put yourself in someone else's place. It is easy to defend your point of view, even logic is not needed for this. But looking at the situation from different perspectives is the lot of people with high emotional intelligence.
• Pay attention to your body language. People often do not say what they think, and this is reflected on their body and face. Watch for these characteristics and try to understand how the person actually feels.
• Address people's feelings. If logic doesn't work, the best way to get your way is to appeal to feelings.

5. Social skills

Leaders with high social skills, excellent communicators. They are good at delivering bad news, team building, and conflict resolution.

How can you develop your social skills?

• Learn to resolve conflicts. There are no conflicts anywhere, they will arise even in a successful team, so notice this situation in time and resolve it.
• Improve your communication skills. Don't criticize or blame others. Speak clearly and clearly.
• Learn to encourage others. The loyalty of team members increases when they feel important to the company.

We wish you good luck!

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