The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Interim Leadership Success

What does emotional intelligence actually mean?

Emotional Intelligence (EI) involves the conscious recognition and management of one's emotions while fostering empathetic and inspiring relationships with team members.

In the realm of interim management, emotional intelligence is required to help manage adaptability, rapid transitions, and effective communication.?

There are five core components of EI, including:

Self-awareness - Recognising your own moods and emotions and how they affect others.

Self-regulation - Controlling your impulses and moods (thinking before acting)

Internal motivation - Being driven to pursue goals for personal reasons

Empathy - Recognising and understanding others motivation?

Social skills - Managing relationships and building networks

Emotional intelligence lays the groundwork for sustained success in all roles you play in your life, especially leadership roles.

Why is EI important for interim managers?

Did you know that emotional intelligence is responsible for 58% of a leader's job performance?

As an interim manager, you meet a large number of different teams across different industries and must ‘win people over' every time you start a new assignment.?

Doing this successfully will have a direct impact on stakeholder perception of your success on the project.

Starting a new assignment, you need to be able to:

• Build trust quickly: Interims must build trust rapidly with new team members and stakeholders to foster trust and credibility.
• Navigating high-pressure environments: Interim roles often come with high stakes and tight deadlines. As an interim leader with strong emotional intelligence, you can easily manage the client's stress effectively.
• Communicate effectively: This is the cornerstone of your success in any leadership role. Leaders with higher EI can convey their ideas more clearly and listen actively, ensuring they understand and address the concerns of the team.

Developing and leveraging emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a set of skills that can be cultivated through practice and introspection. Leaders can actively enhance their EI by:

• Seeking feedback
• Reflecting on their emotions and behaviours
• Practicing mindfulness
• Using self-regulation techniques
• Participating in coaching focused on EI development

To effectively leverage EI, interim managers must first acknowledge its importance and commit to developing their own EI skills.?

They should then model and promote EI within all teams they become a part of by setting clear expectations, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a culture that values empathy, collaboration, and self-awareness.

Integrating EI into your leadership style drives the success of both the project itself and the client's business by inspiring and motivating teams, building strong relationships with stakeholders, and navigating complex business environments with confidence and agility.

The impact of emotional intelligence on interim leadership success??

Leadership effectiveness: According to a study by the Journal of Organisational Behaviour, leaders with high emotional intelligence are 25% more effective in their roles.

Team performance: The International Journal of Business and Management reports that teams led by emotionally intelligent leaders are 20% more productive.

Employee engagement: Gallup research indicates that employees who work under emotionally intelligent leaders are 17% more engaged in their work.

Conclusion

Developing your emotional intelligence will only benefit you in navigating the unique challenges of your roles more effectively.

For interim managers, the journey to upskilling emotional intelligence is continuous and rewarding. Investing in EI not only enhances personal leadership capabilities but also drives team performance and organisational success.