Throughout my various professional roles, I’ve learned that success in leadership goes far beyond technical expertise and industry knowledge. Over the course of my career, I’ve discovered that emotional intelligence is the differentiating factor that sets exceptional leaders apart from the rest.
In this chapter, I’ll share from my experience how emotional intelligence relates to effective leadership. This relationship has allowed me to grow both as a human being and as a professional, enabling me to support and boost my teams’ performance.
Emotional Leadership
Leadership is the ability to guide groups and motivate others towards achieving common goals. This involves task management, influencing team culture and behavior. An effective leader is one who can articulate a clear vision, efficiently manage resources, and adapt to changes with agility and foresight.
Emotional intelligence refers to the capacity to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others. It includes skills such as empathy, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and the ability to foster healthy interpersonal relationships.
In the business context, these skills are key to being a true leader.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Successful Leadership
Emotional intelligence is essential for effective leadership. It allows leaders to connect with their teams, resolve conflicts constructively, and maintain a positive and motivating work environment. As leaders, our ability to emotionally connect with our teams, handle conflicts constructively, and adapt to changes largely determines our success and that of our companies.
In my agency, for example, every Tuesday I meet with the entire Gravital Agency team to follow up on multiple tasks with our clients. We start these meetings by sharing experiences, good or bad, from the past few days, followed by “one word” – a word that describes how you feel at that moment.
Sometimes a team member acknowledges feeling unwell or sad, and we never see this as a weakness. We should be grateful that they can share their feelings so that we, as a team, can support that person and ensure they understand we’re there for them. We all have difficult days that are much more manageable when you have your people backing you up.
Through exercises like this, I understood that leaders with high emotional intelligence are able to read situations with sensitivity and respond to their employees’ emotional needs, which in turn improves the work environment and enhances productivity.
One-on-One
The concept of the grumpy boss with an attitude of superiority and arrogance needs to be completely eradicated. Being a CEO doesn’t make me less human.
That’s why I open a space with each team member to talk, for them to tell me how they’re doing, what would help them continue growing, understand if there’s something they don’t like, listen to their contributions and new ideas.
Without excuse, I open my schedule and make time to talk with everyone. It’s an opportunity to get to know each other better and develop trust.
4 Key Tips to Improve Emotional Intelligence
Developing solid emotional intelligence is the task of anyone seeking to improve their effectiveness and team dynamics.
The following tips aim to improve both self-understanding and the ability to manage interpersonal relationships effectively. By implementing these practices, we can increase our emotional resonance, triggering a positive impact on the work environment.
1. Constant Self-Assessment
As a leader, it’s your duty to take time to reflect on your own behavior and emotions. Identifying emotional patterns can help understand how these influence your leadership and professional relationships. By being aware of your strengths and areas for improvement, you can make more balanced and authentic decisions.
2. Seeking Feedback
Feedback from all my collaborators can offer valuable perspectives on how others perceive my emotional skills. This feedback should be received with openness and used as a basis for my personal development.
No comment, no matter how bad it may seem, should be taken as an attack. On the contrary, it’s an opportunity to grow, or to understand that something isn’t right and work on it.
3. Prioritizing Empathetic Communication
This is a vital piece of advice. As leaders, empathy is an absolute necessity for personal and professional growth. The ability to put oneself in others’ shoes, to understand their perspectives and emotions, is what distinguishes transactional leaders from transformational ones.
When we lead with empathy, we create an environment of trust and genuine connection with our team. By validating their experiences and feelings, we show them that their well-being is a priority. This emotional connection improves morale, job satisfaction, fosters creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Empathy, besides being beneficial for our team, is a catalyst for our own growth. By practicing empathy, we develop greater self-awareness and understanding of our own emotions. We learn to regulate our reactions, communicate more effectively, and make more balanced and compassionate decisions.
That said, empathy allows us to be more adaptive and responsive leaders. By being attuned to our team’s needs and challenges, we can adjust our leadership approach to provide the right support and guidance in each situation. This flexibility and sensitivity are characteristic of personal and work well-being.
4. Continuous Training and Development
Learning emotional intelligence is a daily task. Seek training opportunities, such as workshops or coaching programs, that provide you with tools to improve your self-awareness and emotional regulation. By modeling a commitment to personal growth, you’ll inspire your team to do the same.
The Impact of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is not an optional add-on to a leader’s skill set; it’s an integral part of effective leadership. Leaders who strive to develop and improve their emotional intelligence can expect to achieve their goals more effectively and create a more harmonious and productive work environment.
Don’t forget the value of empathy. Let it be your compass on a journey of growth and discover the transformative impact it can have on your leadership and all aspects of your life.
That said, what are you doing to be the comprehensive support for your team?
