Emotional intelligence in leadership

Good leaders are those who never lose control, who face their challenges leaving aside their personal problems and fully trust themselves. They demonstrate their emotional intelligence in leadership.

Good leaders are recognized because They listen to their people and are communicative and because they are informed before making decisions, seriously assessing their possible repercussions. So, Emotional intelligence plays a fundamental role in leadership.

Leadership is a capacity that we should all enhance., because surely on some occasion we will have the opportunity to put it into practice as businessmen, as parents, as teachers, as therapists, etc. Therefore, it is necessary that we take into account the implications that emotional intelligence has to play this role in developing the necessary capabilities.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of the people around you.. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they feel, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people.

Emotional intelligence in leadership It is essential to achieve success. After all, who is more likely to succeed, a leader who yells at his team when he is under stress, or a leader who calmly monitors and evaluates the situation?

According to Daniel GolemanAmerican psychologist who helped popularize EI, There are five main elements of emotional intelligence in leadership:

Self-awareness.Self-regulation.Motivation.Empathy.Social skills.

The greater the leader’s ability to manage each of these areas, the greater his or her emotional intelligence.

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Emotional intelligence in leadership

There are a series of fundamental aspects that determine emotional intelligence in leadership. They are the following:

Self awareness

If you are self-aware and always know how you feel, you will know how your emotions and actions can affect the people around you. Be self-aware when you are in a leadership position as well. It means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknessesand it means behaving with humility.

How to improve self-awareness?

Keeping a diary which helps improve self-awareness. If you spend a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts you will have a greater degree of self-awareness.Slowing down in moments of anger or other strong emotions to examine why. No matter the situation, you can always choose how to react to it.

Self-regulation

Leaders who self-regulate effectively do not verbally attack others., nor do they make hasty or emotional decisions. They also do not consider people as stereotypes or compromise their values.

Self-regulation is what helps you maintain control. This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also covers a leader’s flexibility and commitment to personal responsibility.

How can the ability to self-regulate be improved?

Know your values ​​by spending some time examining your “code of ethics.”. If you know what is most important to you, you won’t have to think twice about how to face a moral decision. Take responsibility without blaming others when something goes wrong. Admit your mistakes and face the consequences, whatever they may be.Calmly practice difficult situations to know how to react when you have the opportunity and to manage your emotions appropriately.

Motivation

Motivated leaders consistently work toward their goals. and they have very high standards for the quality of their work.

How can you improve your motivation?

Examine why you do what you do. It’s easy to forget what you really like or the reason that pushes you to do things. Therefore, take some time to remember why you want to do things. Review and update your goals.Know your posture and why are you so motivatedBe optimistic and look for the good, regardless of the problems. Adopting this way of thinking may take practice, but it is worth the effort. Every time you face a challenge, or even a failure, try to find at least one good thing about the situation.

Empathy

For leaders, having empathy is essential for managing a team and organizing successfully. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in another person’s situation. They help the people in their group or team developchallenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.

How can you improve empathy?

Put yourself in someone else’s shoes to see your point of view.Pay attention to body language through which the other says, unconsciously, how they feel.Respond to the feelings of others and address them by talking to the other person about it so that they feel understood and are more receptive and open to dialogue.

Social skills

Leaders who master the social skills of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They are just as open to hearing bad news as good news. They are also experts in supporting their loved ones and making them feel comfortable with a new mission or project.

Leaders who have good social skills also They are good at change management and in conflict resolution.

How can social skills be developed?

Learn to resolve conflicts.Improve communication skills.Learn to recognize the positive things other people do.

How does good leadership translate to the workplace?

Goleman also addressed certain factors through which we can get an idea about whether there is good leadership within a company:

Freedom. The feeling or perception of freedom that workers have to contribute ideas and innovate. If the worker feels listened to, he will feel valued. If he feels heard and valued, it is a sign that he is facing a good leader.Responsibility. The degree of responsibility that a worker feels in his or her job. If he is a good leader, he will make everyone feel responsible and valuable in their jobs.Quality of work. The level of quality of work carried out by workers is also an indicator of the quality of the leader.Compensations. Whether they typically receive compensation for performance and/or how those rewards are perceived. Do workers feel that their work is valued? Do you feel it is rewarded?The company. Level of clarity about the company’s mission and values.Commitment. Level of commitment that workers have towards a common objective.

Conclusions

To be effective, leaders must have a solid understanding of how their emotions and how their actions affect the people around them. The best leader relates and works with others. Take time to work on self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

Working in these areas will help you excel in the future. and to handle situations in which you have to fulfill your role as a leader, whether in the family, school or your environment. Emotional intelligence in leadership is essential.

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