How Better Leaders Improve Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is key in business success. Learn about the many benefits of paying closer attention to people’s emotions, including for your company.

Key Takeaways: Why Leaders Should Work on Emotional Intelligence?

• Smart people often fail as leaders because they don’t have emotional intelligence.
• Emotional intelligence involves:
• Being aware of people’s feelings
• Interpreting those feelings and responding appropriately
• Emotionally intelligent leaders:
• Are more empathetic
• Have good self-awareness
• Are better able to resolve issues
• To be more emotionally intelligence, leaders must:
• Practice active listening
• Be able to accept criticism
• Focus on the positive
• Be self-motivated
• Better manage their own emotions

Have you ever known somebody who was very smart, but maybe just wasn’t always that great to be around? We all know someone who seems to know everything about everything, but just can’t – or won’t – read a room to respond appropriately. This is a person who likely lacks emotional intelligence.?

What is emotional intelligence, you ask? It is the ability to really understand what people are feeling. This insight can then be used to interpret these feelings and respond in an appropriate manner. While extremely helpful when you work with others, this is an essential skill for processing your own emotions.?

Honing this skill can also be especially beneficial when it comes to workplace leadership. Here’s everything you should know about it, including how it impacts company growth and business success.

What being emotionally intelligent means for a leader

Good leaders do things to engage with and inspire the people they’re leading. Being able to perceive and evaluate their team members’ emotions and needs is thus essential. Making an effort to improve your emotional intelligence gives you:

• Greater empathy – When you know how somebody is feeling – even if they don’t come right out and tell you – you can empathize with them. Seeing things from their point of view enables you to better understand their actions. Being more empathetic is something leaders should always strive to do, and right now it may actually be the most important trait they possess.?
• More self-awareness – Emotional intelligence lets you get a stronger grasp of your own emotions in addition to being able to better understand other people’s. When you’re more self-aware, you can think about why you’re feeling a certain way and how you got there. This can also help you avoid making knee-jerk reactions and decisions, and can help you better see how your actions and words might impact those around you.
• Better resolution skills – We’ve all been in situations where emotions ran high, and it doesn’t take much for things to get out of hand when one gets heated at work. Emotionally intelligent leaders know how to quickly deescalate a situation, which enables everyone to calm down. This means the issue can then be approached in a more rational manner.

Being aware of others’ emotions and what is going on around you is key to keeping things running smoothly. That’s true for your business, teams, and self. The good news is that leaders always have the chance to improve their emotional intelligence.

How leaders can enhance their emotional intelligence

Even if your emotional intelligence may be lacking, there are things you can start doing right now to improve it. These include:

Paying better attention

Understanding somebody’s emotions can be as simple as just giving them more attention. Being an active listener – which involves actually listening when they speak, instead of just waiting to talk – can offer a lot of valuable insights. The same is true for reading their body language and nonverbal cues.?

Accepting criticism

Nobody likes getting negative feedback, but this is vital for growing and improving. Leaders – even if they’re the managers or bosses – can’t be exempt from criticism. Rather than getting mad or defensive, reflect on where that feedback is coming from and the changes that need to be made. There are likely valuable insights here that will allow you to more effectively reach and work with those around you.

Focusing on the positive

While you don’t need to do cartwheels around the office, you should try to be positive and see the bright side of things. This is especially relevant when the business experiences a downturn. Nobody wants to work for someone who is focused on the clouds instead of the sliver lining, and a positive attitude can rub off on everybody. This can also help foster a feeling of resilience within a team.

Keeping your motivation up

The daily grind of running a business can be, well, a daily grind. But, you should always be able to self-motivate. If your passion for what you do is flagging, figure out ways to change that. Remember why you got into your business in the first place. Create new goals, tackle new challenges. Take a break, if you need it, so you can recharge and come back stronger. Just like with positivity, motivation has a way of being contagious.

Managing your own emotions

As an emotionally intelligent leader, you need to focus on everyone else’s emotions – and this has to include yourself. Managing your feelings means expressing them, not bottling them up. If you’re stressed, you need to figure out ways to relieve it. One bonus is that better knowing your own emotions means you can use this knowledge to gain an increased understanding of the people around you.

If you’re looking to build a world-class sales team to take your company to the next level, MetaGrowth Ventures is here to help. We have a tested, effective process for finding the best candidates, conducting interviews, and getting the right people hired and onboarded quickly. Plus, our accountability coaches will monitor their performance and make any necessary changes so they always meet your expectations.?

Get in touch with us to learn more about what MetaGrowth Ventures can offer your company.