Empathy + Resilience + Neuroplasticity

emotionally intelligent leadership

It's the ability to move people in the direction you want to go based on a deep understanding of yourself and them. First comes you: gradually improving your self-awareness and self-management skills. Then comes others: gradually building your social awareness and relationship management skills.

?And remember that whether or not you're a "leader" in the workplace, you are indeed a leader in your family, circle of friends, and communities.

emotional intelligence tips

1. Use eye contact and questions to build empathy with people in your life. Questions help you understand someone's thinking and emotions. Eye contact helps you pick up non-verbalized thoughts and emotions from their body language, use of physical space, and facial movements.
2. Check in with yourself on a consistent basis. Questions such as "how am I feeling right now?" and "what am I feeling right now?" help build greater self-awareness by understanding why you are feeling what you are, and the impact it may have.
3. Rather than just using words (like "integrity" or "family" or "growth"), write out your values in sentence or paragraph form. It helps define that value for you personally and, as a result, can provide clarity when facing difficult decisions or conflict.

featured building blocks + more tips?

image. Your self-image consists of two things: how you see yourself and how others see you. TIP: to build and maintain an accurate self-image, seek out candid feedback from others. Three methods to try: ask people what they want you to start/stop/continue doing; ask for appreciative (past) and constructive (future) feedback; and ask "How am I perceived?"

resilience. Your emotional resilience is driven by your bias for action. TIP: when faced with a challenging situation, remember that you have the ability to choose your thoughts, actions, and moods. That becomes easier if you create space by breathing, taking a walk, or otherwise calming your nervous system.

service. Your service orientation is how well you anticipate, recognize, and meet other people's needs. TIP: simply ask someone what their needs are and/or how they are motivated. Two useful models are Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Daniel Pink's intrinsic motivators of autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

teamwork. leaders who build high-functioning teams practice teamwork themselves, draw team members in, and build an esprit d'corp. TIP: to draw people in, solicit input and feedback consistently, acknowledging that their ideas, questions, and thoughts will be considered (though not perhaps followed) when you make a decision or take action.

Why are the four levels of emotionally intelligent leadership (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management) in the order they are? Because it's essential to increase your capacity to lead yourself before leading others.

your brain + body

According to scientists, your brain changes over time. The phenomenon is called neuroplasticity,?and occurs when synapses that connect neurons in the brain grow and strengthen, mostly as a result of experiences.

Stress and trauma are known to be negative experiences through which these synaptic connections are formed. That helps explain why some people react in certain ways to certain stimuli: their brain has literally become wired as a result of those occurrences.

At the same time, there are positive experiences we can pursue intentionally to also build these connections: learning, attention and focus, healthy diet, good sleep, exercise, meditation, emotional awareness, and social interactions. ??

In other words, doing all the things that scientists, medical experts, and loved ones suggest to us can help our brains change in a positive way.