4 Bold Ways To Lead with Emotional Intelligence

Fresh off another awesome speaking engagement yesterday in Dallas, I realized it would be valuable for me to share more details behind the most commonly asked question I receive from audiences: how do you lead with emotional intelligence? Cutting to the chase, I want to highlight four ways emotionally intelligent leaders lead boldly with emotional intelligence. Here they are:

1. They are motivated by their passion and a deeper understanding of what makes them unique

Payal Kadakia, the founder of ClassPass, was propelled all throughout her life by a desire to turn her passion into a business. Her love of dance and her evolution in business helped her understand she was an entrepreneur at heart. She began looking to find classes nearby that worked for her schedule. She wanted to leverage technology to make fitness classes more accessible to everyone.

Not only did she achieve her dream, she learned a tremendous amount about herself in the process. She could have continued on for a lucrative career as a consultant, but she decided to change course and learn what motivated her. By aligning this with her business acumen, she was able to create a company that’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Check out my top-ranked LinkedIn Learning course: Leading with Emotional Intelligence!

2. They operate with a high degree of confidence

When you see Indra Nooyi speak, what comes to mind? Is it her charm? Is it the simplicity of her message? Maybe. It’s also an earned confidence that makes her feel exceedingly comfortable in her own skin. The same goes for leaders like Satya Nadella that lead with empathy, and thus earn the respect of those that they lead. Empathetic leaders are highly confident.

This confidence radiates throughout the organization. Confidence is born from preparation, mindset and experience. Look at each of those and determine how you prepare for all you do, the optimistic, growth mindset that you have, and how you can learn and make sense of all of your experiences. I detail this in my newest book, The Champion Leader: https://amzn.to/4aIeJaw.

3. They are decisive and make swift decisions

Emotionally intelligent leaders make swift decisions after heavily weighing all of the pros and cons. A huge component of this is adaptability and the self-management part of efficiently managing their time and priorities. Great lessons can be learned from the life of former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell.

Colin Powell is the epitome of a successful, emotionally intelligent leader. Serving in a variety of high-pressure public roles, he was required to make hugely important decisions in the best interest of his country. He relied on his high EQ, IQ, and ability to forget the past and move forward with the knowledge that he could live with his decisions.

4. They are servant leaders that are bridge-makers for building relationships

Coach K, former Duke University basketball coach, was the ultimate servant leader. He produced young men that are great basketball players, students, and citizens. He built relationships on campus at Duke University, and also throughout the country while serving as the head coach of the U.S. men’s national basketball team.

He’s opened doors for countless young men and modeled qualities of emotional intelligence like motivation, self-awareness, empathy, and adaptability on every step of his journey.

Every one of us can increase emotional intelligence and become the leader we want to be. We have that power inside of ourselves. You do it with the way you communicate, identify opportunities, build relationships and make smart decisions.

You do it through thoughtfulness, reflection, self-awareness and empathy toward others. Be bold. Lead with emotional intelligence.

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Christopher D. Connors is the author of The Champion Leader: https://amzn.to/4aIeJaw. He is also the creator of top LinkedIn Learning course, Leading with Emotional Intelligence. He's a keynote speaker, executive coach, and globally recognized expert on emotional intelligence. Christopher consults with executives and leaders at Fortune 1000 companies.