The difference between decent and exceptional leaders is their degree of emotional intelligence. High IQs and technical proficiency are required to complete daily tasks. Nearly everyone with whom you compete at work has the same skill sets. A leadership team’s level of emotional intelligence will ultimately save or ruin an enterprise.
Leaders set the emotional climate of the company. When they are unproductive and set a bad example for treating others, it affects the whole organization. 12% of people leave their jobs due to poor management. Low emotional intelligence can lead to other issues, such as increased employee turnover and toxic behavior among workers. The good news is that the fundamental abilities that make up emotional intelligence, such as empathy and other interpersonal skills, as well as self-awareness and self-management, can be developed with practice.
The Use of Mindfulness
Leading others requires self-control through self-awareness and self-regulation. Your example impacts others around you. You won’t be good at dealing with others if you can’t control your behavior. One of the most efficient methods for increasing self-awareness and self-control is mindfulness, which manages how we respond to our emotions. You will detect changes and comprehend how external influences affect you by increasing your awareness of what is happening intellectually and emotionally inside of you.
Meta-cognition, the capacity to keep track of our thoughts and emotions, can be developed through mindfulness. The development of self-awareness depends on this. We manage ourselves better, and we interact and collaborate with others more effectively. This is useful for facilitating clear and open communication, combined with the fact that it has been shown to promote empathy.
Learn to Take Criticism
To succeed as a manager, you must be ready to own your shortcomings and mistakes. Ignoring criticism limits development and advancement. A crucial trait of an emotionally intelligent leader is the capacity to receive criticism without becoming upset. Defensiveness will undermine the confidence built up within a team and the existing trust. It’s harder to hear critique as your career develops, but just because something worked with one group or employee doesn’t indicate it will work in all other situations you encounter.
When you get criticism, pause. If necessary, mentally count from 1 to 10 to let any initial feelings pass. Thank people for their comments. Tell them how much you value their guts in approaching you. To better comprehend the feedback and its effects, ask clarifying questions and for examples of what they’re saying.