One of the most integral leadership qualities that a leader should ingrain in herself is developing emotional intelligence. One who never lets her temper get out of control, no matter what problems she’s facing, someone who has complete trust in her staff, listens to her team, is easy to talk to, and always makes careful, informed decisions is deemed as an emotionally intelligent and impactful leader. The best part is that there are a plethora of benefits of emotional intelligence that you can expect.

What Is Emotional Intelligence in Business?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence can put a leadership strategy and tactic to its best use. Hence, for leaders, having emotional intelligence is essential for success. 

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership
Being an emotionally intelligent leader can be a valuable addition to your leadership success factors and help you achieve great heights in life. Here’s how both of these traits go hand-in-hand: 

• Self-awareness in Leadership.

If you’re self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you’re in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, and it means behaving with humility. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-awareness. When you experience anger or other strong emotions, slow down to examine why and practice workplace stress reduction techniques. Remember, no matter what the situation, you can always choose how you react to it. 

• Self-regulation Skills.

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control. Do you have a clear idea of where you absolutely will not compromise? Do you know what values are most important to you? Spend some time examining your “code of ethics.” If you know what’s most important to you, then you probably won’t have to think twice when you face a moral or ethical decision – you’ll make the right choice. If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You’ll probably sleep better at night, and you’ll quickly earn the respect of those around you.

• Motivation

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work. Re-examine why you’re doing your job. It’s easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. In addition to this, you can also read books on emotional intelligence. 

• Empathy in Leadership.

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else’s situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it. Hence, having empathetic social skills in leadership can be of great benefit.

To learn more about emotional intelligence from the Ladies Who Lead, reach out to us now!