IMPROVE YOUR ORGANISATIONAL LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATIONS - USING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE(EI):

“The only way to change someone’s mind is to connect with them from the heart. ” - Rasheed Ogunlaru

Dr. Jean Greaves and Dr. Travis Bradberry in their book, "Emotional Intelligence 2.0" found that 90% of high performers are also high in emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.

This ability or a lack thereof impacts your communication success. In this lesson, I'm going to give you four practical tips so you can begin to leverage the power of emotional intelligence in your leadership.

1. First, assess your stress signals:

You have a reserve to control the negative emotions that may happen as a result of stress. However, this reserve can only last so long. In 2013 after over a year of working nearly 60 hours every week and sleeping only four to five hours a night, I had it. I thought it was going to have to quit or choose my job over everything else.

I neglected to pay attention to my stress signals, the knots between my shoulders constantly yelling at my family and binge eating late at night. I battled stress for too long that my reserve eventually became so depleted I had to surrender.

• What are your warning signs?
• Do you get headaches and upset stomach?
• Do you lose sleep or feel anxious?
• By assessing your stress signals?

You can catch it early on so you can slow down and return with positive emotions and extended energy.

2. Next, schedule your mental health:

Mental health can be easily neglected as you move through the busyness of your day so it's important to be intentional and schedule a mental recharge. Scheduling does not necessarily mean blocking large periods of time.

In fact, I recommend that you anchor small practices alongside your everyday routines.

For example, when you get to your computer, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths before beginning your workday. Before entering a meeting, take 30 seconds to mentally leave behind what you were just working on and think about what's ahead. During lunch, take a brisk walk outside listening to music and breathing in some fresh air.

These small moments attached to your everyday routines will support your mental health and your ability to self-manage.

3. Then practice your empathy:

Empathy is the ability to understand another person's perspective, feel what someone else feels and sense what another person needs from you. If you want to create stronger relationships to enhance your communication then it's important to understand what it's like to be in someone else's shoes.

Before you take your next step like yourself if I were this person, use your experience from past situations to determine what they might think what decisions they might make or what actions they might take.

4. Finally, explain your decisions:

A parent makes a decision and when their child asks why, the parent may respond with, because I said so.

But you're not communicating with children in the workplace. You're communicating with adults. People are more likely to support a decision when they understand why it's been made especially when it has a specific impact on them.

So instead of simply telling them about the decision, take the time to explain why it's been made. Today, choose one of these tips and begin implementing it into your daily leadership.

By incorporating this tip, you will begin leveraging the power of emotional intelligence.