Emotional Intelligence in Business
Emotional
intelligence has long been known to be a key component of effective leadership.
It is the act of knowing, understanding, and responding to emotions, and
overcoming stress in the moment.
Let’s take a
look at what it means to have emotional intelligence as a leader:
Compassion
Compassion is
empathy and caring in action. Being open to others enables us to face tough
times with creativity and resilience. It also enables us to connect with
people, as well as get things done and deal with the sacrifices inherent in
leadership.
Effective communication
Emotional
intelligence means effective communication skills. Leaders who can communicate
better find it easier to get their team excited about a new project or
objective. They are also better at handling bad news such as late deadlines or
lost clients.
Self-Awareness
If you’re
self-aware, you always know how you feel. You also know how your emotions and
your actions can affect those around you. Being self-aware in a leadership
position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses.
And it means behaving with humility.
Authenticity
Leadership may
be about leading and inspiring others, but it begins inside. The ability to
achieve greatness as a leader hinges on your ability to know yourself, know
what matters and act in accordance with who you are.
Respect
Not everyone
will automatically give you the respect you deserve as a human being. But there
is a simple principle that those with emotional intelligence know: to earn
respect, you’ve got to give respect first.
Confidence
Confidence is a
positive and balanced attitude. It comprises a basic belief that we can do what
we need to do, to produce a desired outcome. When obstacles occur, a person
with a confident attitude continues to work to overcome the barriers.
Conversely, someone who lacks confidence is less likely to persevere and may
not even begin a project.
Intuition
Intuitive
leaders make quick decisions based on a lifetime of accumulated wisdom and
understanding. They get a gut feeling or a heartfelt sense. There’s wisdom in
the body. And a leader who trusts these sensations will use them to their
advantage.
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