3 essential EQ skills for tomorrow’s leaders – by Mary Eden
A new style of leadership is emerging…
It’s no longer enough for a leader to control and command. The leader of tomorrow will be required to build and manage relationships like never before …listen, show compassion, influence, build trust and give feedback. In order to inspire others to excel, leaders need to develop their Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to connect better with themselves and others.
In fact, Emotional Intelligence accounts for nearly 90% of what moves people up the ladder when IQ and technical skills are roughly similar (Daniel Goleman).
Here are 3 essential EQ skills to take leadership to a higher level:
Self-awareness
By becoming more aware of their emotions and understanding the effects of their feelings, leaders will be able to identify unhealthy patterns, and then modify their behaviour for the better. When faced with difficult decisions, leaders with high EQ are likely to respond more effectively, and less likely to allow the unproductive emotions to cloud their decisions. Research has shown that 92% of leaders with high emotional self-awareness created positive workplace climates (Haygroup 2010).
Relationship Building
Leaders who practice empathy in the workplace are better equipped to understand and meet others’ needs. They are able to recognise and develop strengths, and give constructive and fair feedback. This ability to “walk in someone else’s shoes” and see things from their perspective will help to foster and maintain positive relationships, build trust and create a supportive and happier environment. Ultimately this enables high performance.
Acting with Intention
By developing EQ, leaders will become more aware of the impact of their choices on themselves, their team, those around them, and ultimately the results they deliver. They think before taking action, thereby avoiding the ‘knee-jerk’ reaction so they can respond to situations appropriately and effectively.
In our EQ Leader workshop participants will take a personal EQ assessment, discover how to use their EQ to further develop these three skills, and create new neural pathways to achieve their desired results. They will develop and take away a personal and professional plan to continue to improve and apply EQ in both their personal and professional lives.
With the World Economic Forum identifying EQ as one of the top critical skills to have by 2020, it’s time to start investing in the EQ development of your future leader.