Here Are Steps to Be a Better Person, Highlight Your Magnetic Qualities, Get More Leadership Opportunities, Secure Greater Income, & Have More Impact

Truth be told, I’m never the smartest person in the room. I have been fortunate enough, however, to share space with extremely bright people - my coaches and mentors, therapists, colleagues, coaching clients, friends, and family members. I am surrounded by truly great people with diverse types of smart.?I am grateful (but I digress).

Even so, I have pursued and been given incredible leadership opportunities in my life. I do my best. My intention is always to have the greatest, most positive impact for others as possible. Sometimes I do better than other times and sometimes I stretch myself a bit too far and pay the price.?Nevertheless, I am the type of person who keeps trying and learning from my efforts.?What I learn always shapes my next steps. ????

Many people think that if you build a deeper knowledge base and develop more skills, they will become better leaders and have more and better opportunities. I used to think this way. This might be true for many, but there is one thing that all of us can do that will set ourselves up for more and different leadership opportunities working with incredible colleagues and partners, help us secure greater income, and have bigger impact in our work.?We can improve our emotional intelligence.?

Actively doing something to develop emotional intelligence is not the answer many people want to hear but it is the truth. We don’t like this answer because it feels “soft,” and “emotional.”?We are not a society that deals well with soft or emotional. We’d rather quantify everything into nice little drop-down boxes.?If only human beings weren’t so complex!?

Before you check out on me, let me clarify something. ?Developing emotional intelligence is about doing things that help you be a better more compelling and magnetic human being.?Who doesn’t want that?!

Recently, I attended an online emotional intelligence training with the leading expert in this area of study, Daniel Goleman.?The training was sponsored by WOBI.?WOBI offers digital masterclasses by world class experts in critical management issues. ?Goleman offered what I felt like were practical steps to develop emotional intelligence – to be a better person – to become your ideal self!??

I’m sharing his steps with you in hopes that if you do these things and give yourself the opportunity to be the most authentic version of yourself – this will lead you to opportunities you might never have anticipated.

The steps include:

1.?????Articulate your five-year vision.?Where do you want to be in five years??What work do you want to do??Who do you want to work with? What kind of people are central in your life??What matters most to you in five years??What are your priorities?

2.?????Ask for feedback.?You can do this through a formal 360 assessment (my favorite is the Leadership Circle Profile because it is developmental in nature. You’ll learn about your leadership strengths and what gets in your way of being a better leader). You can do this informally by asking the people in your life to be candid with you about your strengths and challenges.?

3.?????Use the information in steps one and two to develop a learning plan.?What actions will you need to take to get you from now to five years from now?

4.?????Secure support from trusted people in your life – the people who know you better than anyone else and who are not afraid to be honest with you.?If you don’t have these kinds of people in your life, it is time to find them!?

5.?????Practice doing things that move you in the direction of your five-year plan.?Practice being different because of the candid feedback you received.?You can practice at work and at home.?Pay attention to the impact of your practice (on you and those in your life).?

While these steps are simple, they are not easy to implement. They take commitment and a true desire to be different and to lead a different, often unanticipated, life.?The odds are stacked against us because we are a society who is committed to seeking solutions from the external world.?When we focus on emotional intelligence, the work takes place from the inside out.?Working from the inside out is not work for the faint of heart and not an option many will pursue. If you choose this path and stick with it, it will lead to a more fulfilling life. I’ve been actively working with these steps for 15+ years and they work.

As always, please share your comments here or email me privately! I appreciate all your thoughts.

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Kris Risley | https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/krisrisley/ | www.krisrisley.com | [email protected]??