Anyone can manage a team of people, but it takes a special type of leader to inspire and motivate a workforce. While some people seem like they are born to be leaders, being a good leader is a trait that is learned and practiced constantly. One of the biggest factors that contribute to a good leader is a high emotional intelligence level.
Emotional intelligence allows someone to better understand and manage personal emotions and interactions with others. Leaders who have a high level of emotional intelligence practice self-awareness, regulate and control their emotions, and are able to clearly explain how they feel to others.
How can you practice good emotional intelligence? Here are a few ideas:
First, develop some self-awareness. Start by reflecting on your emotions and reactions to people. Take note of how you are feeling and how you can change that when it affects your daily life. Those with high emotional intelligence are able to identify a stressful situation, feel the stress, take a deep breath, and work to resolve the situation without allowing the stress to overtake the situation.
Those who are aware of their emotions and the effect it has on decision making can make a conscious effort to remove emotion from decision making when necessary. This also gives leaders the ability to influence employee attitudes and create a positive company culture.
As you move through the workday, consider what matters to you. You will receive feedback from employees and leaders above you, take that feedback while also considering what your goals are. Emotional intelligence stems from your sense of self, you must be intrinsically motivated to change habits that will stick.
As you move through your day, see where you can improve on your emotional intelligence. Then, decide the actions you can take to achieve those goals. If you want to practice empathy in your interactions, make it your goal to show that you’re actively listening by repeating what your employee said. Or make an effort to view the situation in their point of view. By making specific goals that you can be consciously aware of you will increase your emotional intelligence.
Another question that you should ask to improve emotional intelligence is: How do you see yourself and how is that different from the way others see you? As we move through life, we are likely blind to or biased around our interactions with others. It is extremely important for your personal growth to better understand how others perceive you. Use feedback from others or an emotional intelligence assessment to understand where you can improve.
By practicing self-awareness, managing your emotions, and understanding your outside perspective, you will be able to nurture your workplace relationships. Being able to effectively lead a workforce involves all of these aspects. Show your employees that you care and support them to create an environment that encourages success.
Finally, putting all of these emotional intelligence factors together and communicating with your employees will create a transparent environment. Communication fosters understanding between your employees and you, which leads to greater productivity. Use both nonverbal and verbal communication skills to increase your emotional intelligent leadership.
At Culture Works, we understand that leading your organization can be tricky. We want to help you create a company culture that inspires growth and productivity for your employees. We offer a comprehensive cultural assessment to better understand where your company stands. Contact us to get your culture assessment today!