EQ - the superpower of effective leaders

Have you been hearing this too? That it’s no longer enough to just be an excellent strategic leader and problem solver - that EQ (emotional intelligence) has become essential, with the strongest leaders having a good balance of both IQ and EQ ?

I was interested to see that qualities associated with EQ such as resilience, curiosity, life-long learning and self-awareness are all being listed as top skills for effective leaders in 2024 in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2023?insights report.? The report went on to say that having a focus on these areas of development was found to be a common factor between the most effective leaders and high performing professionals.

Yet EQ was coined by psychologists John Mayer and Peter Salovey back in the 1990’s – so why are we currently seeing such a focus on EQ as a quality needed in leadership??

Let’s recap on what EQ encompasses.? Mayer and Salovey defined emotional intelligence as ‘the ability to monitor one’s own and other people’s emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.’ ?Daniel Goleman a science journalist helped to popularise the term through his book ‘Emotional Intelligence’ and over time set out five key elements that contribute to EQ:

?1.???? Self-awareness

Having a good understanding of your own emotions

2.???? Self-regulation

Being good at managing and regulating your emotions

3.???? Social awareness/Empathy

Being empathetic to the emotions of others

4.???? Social skills

Being good at handling other’s emotions

5.???? Motivation

Being action and goal oriented, being committed and taking initiative when faced with a task

EQ impacts and in many respects is the foundation of so many critical skills at work.? Consider these for a moment with a lens of EQ: communication, team work, trust, stress tolerance, accountability, flexibility, tolerance to change and decision making. It’s when you start to really reflect on these from this perspective that you can start to better understand why there’s need more than ever for leaders to have strong EQ.?

For many, it was the covid19 pandemic that exposed a need for a higher dose of EQ from leaders.? ?Leaders were needing to manage their own fears and anxiety, while seeking to provide direction and making clear and confident decisions. Suddenly almost everyone was working from home and over this period the line between work and home as blurred with the need for far more for human-to-human conversations and needing to put the professional hierarchy aside at times.

The preference for new ways of working and connecting has remained with employees looking for connection and purpose through their work – heavily influenced by Millennial and Generation Z workers.? Research by Deloitte found these generations as looking to be change agents. ?Changing the workplace, by looking for their leaders to be values driven and having a keen eye on social impact, as well as providing flexibility in how and when work is achieved. ?All of these lean on the need of strong EQ from leaders.

But how do you know if you have strong EQ?? Well, there are numerous free tests and assessments on the internet. In fact, taking a look at the questions from these can give you some questions and statements to reflect upon.? The Harvard Business Review (HBR) still have a leadership focused one on-line that was first published back in 2015, called ‘Do you lead with emotional intelligence?’ You get a report at the end that compares you to an HBR average along with some ideas about what you can do to build your EQ (which are good suggestions and still very relevant, albeit 10 years old now). ?

Of course, for some strong EQ comes more naturally, but the good news for those where it doesn’t, ?is that EQ can be developed and enhanced.? Here are a handful of ways you can build and work on your EQ:

·????? Know your values

·????? Have moments where you slow down and can properly think and reflect

·????? Notice your emotions, and the emotions of others

·????? Listen not just to what is said, but what isn’t said either through silence or body language

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It seems that the words of Warren G. Bennis still ring true – ‘emotional intelligence, more than any other factor, more than IQ or experience, accounts for 85% to 90% of success at work… IQ is a threshold competence.? You need it, but it doesn’t make you a star.? Emotional intelligence can’.

Ten Opal Square - February 2024

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