4 Ways Leaders Practice Emotional Intelligence to Their Advantage

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Emotional intelligence has garnered considerable press over the years as an important predictor of job success, surpassing technical ability. It's also a critical work skill that every person (especially managers) need now and in the future to succeed.?

It's such an important skill to develop that?the World Economic Forum?called emotional intelligence ?one of the top 10 job skills required for future workers to thrive.

Practicing emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is certainly observable and measurable and can be developed through coaching and mentoring. There are clear indicators of EQ's best features being displayed in people you want to promote into key leadership roles. I offer you four examples to consider:

1. Process emotions to get to the root of a problem

Here's a quick thought experiment to assess your own EQ. Think about something that is stressing you out. Do an honest self-appraisal of that situation?that makes you feel threatened or causes you anxiety. Pause for a moment as you reflect.

What is it about this?issue?that makes you feel that way? You'll find that the most emotionally intelligent people process their?thoughts carefully and drill down until they?get to the root of the matter, going below the symptom level to reveal the core of what they're feeling. This may not happen immediately, but over time, as they process their emotions, they'll arrive at the core of the problem.

Using this thought experiment, go back to the situation stressing you out or causing you anxiety. If you're angry at something or someone, or if you fear something to the point where it's affecting your performance, consider the possibility that it you're feeling a secondary emotion to something much deeper -- the primary emotion --?that remains unresolved. It could mean not having closure over a recent or even distant event. This may be the source of your festering anger, fear, sadness, or resentment.?Until it's dealt with, it will continue to haunt you.

2. Positivity and optimism

Emotionally intelligent leaders are positive thinkers who?don't get caught up in things they can't control, like obsessing over political divisions. They put their energy?and effort into?the?things within their power -- the things that matter most in life, like improving their relationships, bringing people together, making others better, and being in service to others within their sphere of influence. Because they're naturally optimistic, studies have shown that people with high EQ are physically and psychologically healthier than pessimists and perform better at work.?

3. Self-management

When forming teams, look for people who manage their emotions well.?This strength falls under self-management (or self-regulation) in emotional intelligence and is found in most high-performing teams. The question behind self-management is easy to understand and harder to execute: Can a person?direct their?emotions and behavior to produce positive?outcomes?

People who maintain control over their emotions help foster safe, fair, and trusted connections. In team settings, they're low on?drama and high on productivity. Top performers flock to?organizations known to cultivate these kinds of environments and rarely?leave them. Psychologist and best-selling author Daniel Goleman says this about people who manage their emotions well:

Reasonable people--the ones who maintain control over their emotions--are the people who can sustain safe, fair environments. In these settings, drama is very low and productivity is very high. Top performers flock to these organizations and are not apt to leave them.

4. Empathy

People are drawn to empathy. It's an attractive quality to have in building successful relationships at work. Previous research has demonstrated that empathy is the strength of high-performing and collaborative teams that produce results. In empathy, you'll find a team member thinking about another colleague's challenge?or frustration, knowing in their mind?that those emotions are as real as their own. This uncanny ability to understand and share the feelings of another helps develop perspective?and opens team members to helping one another.

Your turn: Do you personally know of a leader with unquestionable EQ? What sets them apart? Share in the comments and tag their name.

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About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes ?is a global speaker whose keynotes and workshops spotlight the human side of work and how cultures of care, connection, and belonging outperform the competition. He's an executive coach, syndicated columnist, and the creator of the highly-acclaimed "From Boss to Leader " course. Marcel has been recognized as one of the Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers by Inspiring Workplaces. His work is regularly featured in Inc., Time, Business Insider, Fast Company, and CNBC.