Why It is Important To Be An Emotionally Intelligent Leader.
What kind of a leader do you want to be in the midst of these changing, uncertain and challenging times? Do you want to be an emotionally intelligent leader or an emotionally unintelligent one?
Those of you who have been to my website will notice that my mantra is to help leaders empower themselves by moving from what they need to DO, to who they need to BE in this “new normal” work space. That’s a shift that is often challenging for people, especially my colleagues who are technical experts because they have been trained to focus on the DOING, not the BEING. It’s much easier to manage and control what you do, than who you be.
I was motivated to put some of my thoughts on this down on paper when I read this article this morning – “Are You Working on You? Improving the Quality of Your Leadership.”
One of my other mantras is that your highest priority as a leader is to be able to lead yourself
and that if you can’t do that, then you have no right to expect to lead others.
Of course, the doing bit is much easier than the being stuff which requires that we look at ourselves and the way we lead and the way we interact with our colleagues and employees. Looking at ourselves, being reflective and developing self-awareness is challenging. We really can’t do it by ourselves. We need to do it with a coach or mentor or a trusted colleague or peer support group.
The article above has some pertinent questions we, as leaders, me included, can ask ourselves that start that reflection process.
Managing Your Emotions – Be An Emotionally Intelligent Leader.
It also raises the issue of how we manage our emotions which Ann’s manager didn’t do very well at all. He took her comments and feedback (which he invited) and allowed his emotions to personalise them, became offended and then threatened her with withholding her bonus for no other reason than the fact that he couldn’t manage his emotions intelligently and appropriately as a leader.
Emotional intelligence, like self-awareness, are crucially important leadership skills and deserve a high priority in our professional development as leaders. I doubt that Ann’s manager would have learned anything from this experience Who would be courageous enough to tell him if they were going to get the reaction that Ann received.?
Here are some blogs I have written in the past that will offer you further insights.
https://www.mareeharris.com.au/how-emotional-intelligence-can-help-you-be-the-best-you/
https://www.mareeharris.com.au/how-emotional-intelligence-can-be-a-career-enhancing-attribute/
So at the beginning of a new year, make a decision to work on enhancing your emotional intelligence. Be an emotionally intelligent leader in 2020.
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