Improve Your Leadership With Emotional Intelligence

From taking charge of several teams at the same time to juggling multiple tasks and jumping over hurdles and barriers in the way of the organization’s goals—leadership can take a heavy toll on one’s physical and mental health. The day-to-day responsibilities of any leader can be emotionally taxing as well.

This can be quite the problem.

Some leaders refuse to submit to stressors and choose to follow through with whatever has to be accomplished. For others, they learn to let go of what plagues their mind, choosing to stay motivated and fixated on what inspires them as a source of strength. However, many leaders also find this pressure overwhelming, and they may resort to less friendly means of resolution. Such unhealthy tendencies are never beneficial for anyone: neither for the leader nor for the team.

Having emotional intelligence is the key to preventing said tendencies, and it takes emotionally intelligent leaders to positively affect the workplace in times of need.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is one’s capability to make sense of, interpret, and express their emotions in a productive and healthy manner. Everyone has distinct and unique personalities, so how we think of, feel, or respond to similar situations or people will vary greatly. Your emotional intelligence allows you to personally recognize and interpret what your emotions are telling you, and how your reactions to them affect those around you.

Individuals with high emotional intelligence exhibit many small, noticeable habits. They often pause to think about emotions and feelings. They are charged up by criticism, able to benefit from it and control negative thoughts. They are also more likely to give helpful feedback in return, praise others, and exhibit empathy in any situation.

Those with high emotional intelligence are often the most successful at what they choose to do. They are desired on every team for their greater ability to understand and connect. They are easily able to form connections and reach out to those who may be indifferent, quickly sealing agreements or deals. They are also the most stable and reliable, so when it comes to crunch time, they are the sturdiest source of output and motivation.

What are the components of emotional intelligence?

Goleman (1995) has defined five key characteristics of emotional intelligence.

1. Self-Awareness. Individuals with high emotional intelligence can understand their emotions better than others. They don’t let fleeting feelings get the better of them. They are confident and are able to rely on intuition.
   

2. Self-Regulation. One’s ability to control and keep their emotions in check is due to greater emotional intelligence. These people don’t dwell on jealousy or anger, and they do not act rashly or hastily. Instead, they are more thoughtful towards approaching the situation, respond with compassion, and uphold a high level of integrity.
   

3. Motivation. These people are always inspired and ready to go. They are able to easily relinquish simple, immediate pleasures and distractions in order to focus on longer-term rewards and goals. They aren’t just productive and constantly seeking new challenges—they are also effective and efficient at pursuing their ambitions.
   

4. Empathy. One of emotional intelligence’s crucial components, empathy entails being able to identify and comprehend the dispositions of those around you. People with a strong sense of empathy are good at pinpointing how others feel and are great at managing relationships, communicating with others, and expressing themselves. They hold no one to any prejudices and treat each person appropriately.
   

5. Social Skills. Those who have exceptional social skills are often the most likable. They are easy to talk to and are the best team-players. Instead of focusing on themselves and harnessing their own strengths, they prefer to channel their energy to the group and help every person shine.

Why do we need emotional intelligence in leadership?

Leaders guide their teams—groups of people with individual personalities, backgrounds, and perspectives—on a daily basis. They hold the highest level of influence on others. Any actions leaders take will surely trickle down and ripple towards their colleagues. This means that even the simplest mistakes or misgivings are sure to have great repercussions.

High emotional intelligence is needed for important matters such as decision-making, but on the social level, it is also crucial for conflict resolution or stress management. A leader must know their own emotional state in order to keep themselves in check, but they also need to be able to analyze and recognize the emotions of others. This will help them make calculated and well-thought-out decisions that will benefit everyone.

How can one manifest emotional intelligence in leadership?

When it comes to leadership, high emotional intelligence manifests through several distinct ways. It involves thinking before reacting, a greater sense of self-awareness, and even empathy in difficult instances.

Here are ways you can hone and develop each component of emotional intelligence as a leader.

Self-Awareness

Being self-aware entails having the ability to know how you feel, and to know how your emotions may affect others. As a leader, self-awareness will help you have a vivid image of your and your team’s strengths and weaknesses.

• Track your progress: Having a journal or a tracker to mark you and your team’s daily developments will help strengthen being self-aware and will help you learn to be more conscious of you and your team’s actions
  
  

• Pause: The moment you catch yourself with strong or negative emotions, pause and breathe. Then, take a few moments to reflect and ask yourselves why you feel that way and how you plan to respond to it.
  
  

• Examine: Observe how you react to people or situations. Note how you interact with your environment. Is there something you tend to do? Is there something that prevents you from truly understanding what or who you interact with? Pinpointing these will help you move forward and improve yourself.

Self-Regulation

Leaders who are able to regulate their behavior tend to act out less onto others. They are able to stop themselves from behaving rashly or impulsively, and are able to stick to their principles, judge decisively, and stay in control.

• Determine your values: An effective leader knows their principles and knows when to never compromise. Being conscious of what you want to achieve, what you want to uphold, and what you will not bend for will help mold how you should act in difficult situations.
  

• Exercise calmness: Knowing when to stop and take a few moments to breathe is a powerful skill. Especially during times of extreme duress or pressure, being able to remain calm will help you clear your mind and think or act appropriately. Practice deep-breathing exercises or journaling your thoughts in order to do so.
  

• Ensure accountability. The fatal mistake leaders make when things go awry is to blame others. Making a commitment to accept your faults, flaws, and wrongdoings, regardless of magnitude, not only sets an example for your colleagues but also aids you to be more reflexive and cautious about your attitude and behavior.

Motivation

Motivated individuals are those who don’t cease to consistently work on their ambitions and aspirations. They may set high standards for themselves and others, but they never compromise the quality of their work.

• Charge up your day. When you wake up, tell yourself five things you look forward to today and why. At the end of the day, tell yourself five things you look forward to tomorrow. This cycle of expectation will help build your sense of awe and excitement and will help motivate you even through the mundane.
  

• Plot your week. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by workload and deliverables. By plotting out your week thoroughly in advance, not only will you have an organized schedule, you’ll start building anticipation as well. Formulating a concrete plan for work is easily overlooked, but can just as easily motivate you to power through the day/week.
  

• Treat yourself. We often forget to reward ourselves for the hard work we’ve put in. Find some free time in your schedule and set it as a ‘no work’ period. Indulge in your hobbies, watch that show you’ve been meaning to, have your cheat day—whatever you choose, do something you love. Allow yourself to enjoy life, and sure enough, this joy will trickle down to your work.

Empathy

Empathy is a critical value anyone can possess. Be it managing a team or consoling a peer, people with empathy have the ability to place themselves in others’ dispositions and carefully handle any situation.

• Be responsive, not reactive. When you encounter a problem or a difficult situation with somebody, pause for a moment and relax. Practice the habit of processing instances in order to appropriately respond to them instead of reacting on impulse. Always take the time to think, feel, and understand.
  

• Bond. There are many things that go unsaid. By finding moments to reach out and connect with your team, you’re guaranteed to be able to slowly understand who they are and how they feel. Set time outside of work to properly unwind with them. Find mutual recreational activities, and engage them in fun and neutral environments to help them open up.
  

• Care. If you spot a colleague struggling to stay awake during a meeting, talk to them afterward and ask them what might be troubling them. If you see cluttered materials on desks at the office, find a few moments to help clean up and organize them. Showing you care will help build trust with your team. It shows them you’re part of their efforts. Who knows, you may inspire someone to care as well.

Social Skills

Leaders with exceptional social skills are invaluable. Strong communication and relation to others will be the backbone of the effectiveness of your teams.

• Be honest. There are many things that are difficult to say: poor performance reports, cuts in pay, or even laying someone off. Regardless of what it may be, practicing honesty is essential to building up trust and open communication with your team. This will help promote an environment where sharing is incentivized and welcomed.
  

• Express yourself more. Praise a peer for successfully closing a difficult deal. Thank a colleague for helping you organize company databases. Apologize to your friend for coming late to your day-off recreational date. Whatever it may be, being able to confidently show how you feel towards others helps others know how they’re doing, and makes them more comfortable communicating with you in return.
  

• Actively engage. Don’t just sit in during presentations—participate. Join in on break room chatter. Be it work-related or more personal concerns, it’s always helpful to actively be part of ongoing activities. When your team sees you actively engaging in even the simplest tasks, they’ll feel your dedication and may in turn be inspired to actively engage as well.

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