Emotional Intelligence, An Overlooked, Yet Crucial Aspect Of Effective Leadership

It’s interesting to watch new leadership paradigms replacing traditional leadership theories. Concepts like “command and control”, "spans of influence", and “chains of command” are out of the ark. Leaders have found better ways to lead—and they are delivering better results. They are finally succeeding at bringing out the very best versions of themselves as well as their teams. And it’s not just about technical expertise - it’s taking a load of intellect and emotion to make the impact.

Think about a great leader, CEO or project manager, that you’ve had in the past. You consider the person great for one reason - whenever you had questions, concerns or some specific needs, they were likely receptive and supportive to you. Even when it was not your finest hour and you had continuous disagreements, they remained respectful and productive. Basically, their emotional intelligence score, or EQ, was great.

Emotional intelligence is the person’s ability to handle their own emotions and those of the people around them. Jennifer Shirkani, a featured emotional intelligence speaker and author, defines emotional intelligence using the “Three R” method. She defines emotional intelligence as the person’s ability to:

• Recognize strengths and weaknesses
• Read others and your environment
• Respond appropriately given the situation

Let’s visualize the concept through a popular instance: In 2015, Jeff Bezos and Amazon took some serious hits. First, Payscale ranked Amazon 464 out of the Fortune 500 companies in terms of employee turnover. And then, in a report, The New York Times described Amazon’s environment as “cruel” and “back-stabbing”. Faced with continuous criticism, Bezos would have been very angry. But he didn’t let his anger cloud his intelligence and maturity.

In a memo to employees, Jeff Bezos said "it doesn't describe the Amazon I know or the caring Amazonians I work with every day. But if you know of any stories like those reported, I want you to escalate to HR. You can also email me directly at [email protected]. Even if it's rare or isolated, our tolerance for any such lack of empathy needs to be zero."

It was commendable how Bezos struck all the right notes to respond to the criticism and encouraged empathy among Amazonians. Fortunately, it’s not the only case. There have been many instances over the years where leaders have shown exceptional emotional intelligence in the oddest circumstances.

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Having a high degree of emotional intelligence is great, especially when you are in a position to lead. Basically, high EQ (or EI) sets apart which leaders will be the best leaders. All one needs to figure out is how to use it. 

Using Emotional Intelligence At Work As A Leader

Whether you're leading an entire organization or a single team, you must use emotional intelligence at work every day. From onboarding to project-related discussions, you must make your team realize that you are an emotionally engaging leader. And reflect the same in your behavior, not just your words.

 Based on my understanding of EQs and successful leadership, here’s how you, as a leader, can manage everything around you with a higher sense of emotional intelligence.

• Practice being calm: The next time you're in a challenging situation, beware of how you act. If you have a habit of letting your anger out or blaming others for every setback, QUIT IT. Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself and think about how you can make things right rather than ripping things up.
• Pay attention to the body language: Perhaps when you are in a meeting or having a conversation with someone, try observing the body language. It can be a real asset for your leadership role as you will be able to determine how someone really feels about a situation and respond to that feeling appropriately.
• Put yourself in someone else's position: It's easy to get convinced by your own point of view. After all, it's yours! But for a change, try looking at a situation from other people's perspective. Example: If missing deadlines has become an everyday story for your team, put yourself in their place to identify the root of all troubles. Lack of motivation or the need for a web-based PM platform, once you know what's bothering your team, you can make efforts to get them back on track.

 So, what’s your take on using emotional intelligence in leadership? Do you think that’s what you need to bring the change you want to see? Tell us about your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!

Also Read:

Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated!

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work! Agree?

Shortcuts Are an Illusion: There’s No Quick Road to Success

Author Bio:

Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder and CEO of ProofHub — a leading project management and collaboration software. He’s one person always on a lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams, and organizations. You’ll find him saying, “Let’s go!” instead of “Go!” many times a day. That’s what makes him write about leadership in a way people are inspired to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more. For more inspirational articles follow him on Linkedin.