The FBI requires agents to take annual physicals, including a treadmill test, every few years. When it was my time for the examination, the doctor hooked me up so he could follow my heart and lung responses. I was panting along at my usual pace when he burst into the room and demanded that I stop immediately and get off the treadmill.
I was scared to death, and when I asked the doctor what was wrong, he barked out that I had ischemia and should not exert myself until I saw a heart specialist.
He left the room without bothering to explain ischemia, so I looked it up when I got home and discovered it’s a condition where the heart cannot get enough oxygen. The usual outcome is that the heart stops abruptly or finds a way to get enough oxygenated blood to keep it going. It turned out that my heart compensates by gulping oxygen, so I was in no danger of dropping dead.
The doctor’s lack of ability to respond to my emotions or understand them left me petrified — until I could see a heart specialist. He could have done much better if only he had been more emotionally intelligent.
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand and manage one’s own emotions, as well as empathize and manage the emotions of others. The concept of EI was first introduced by psychologists in 1990 and later developed by psychologist Daniel Goleman in 1998.
Not so long ago, leaders could bark out orders and expect them to be carried out. But today’s leaders are different. They’ve learned that it’s impossible to understand business if they don’t understand people. As a result, they are required not only to be more self-aware but also to understand the emotional drivers that grow relationships. This is true with both peers and subordinates. EI can take much of the credit for this shift in leadership attitude.
It takes a strong mind to be emotionally intelligent. Here is how emotional intelligence can empower leaders to be more effective:
1. Honest self-assessment
Goleman’s research emphasizes the importance of individuals acknowledging the full range of emotions they experience and learning how to manage them effectively.
Self-assessment is more than self-awareness, although recognizing and articulating your strengths and weaknesses is a foundational first step. Self-awareness also requires you to understand how your actions align with your core values.
Self-assessment involves seeking feedback from others, including peers and subordinates. It helps leaders see themselves from different perspectives, allowing them to pinpoint blind spots. Self-assessment develops the capacity to sense how one is coming across to others, as it’s easy to have a distorted understanding of one’s strengths and weaknesses.
Ultimately, an honest self-assessment enables the creation of effective plans for ongoing personal and professional development.
How to make it work for you:
Record a video of yourself in conversation. Observe how you come across to others.
Seek feedback from colleagues on how they would describe your leadership style. Are there discrepancies between how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you?
Develop a trusted network of friends and colleagues for coaching, support and feedback.
2. Develop rapport through empathy
Emotionally intelligent leaders can communicate clearly and empathetically. The real secret sauce is that they build rapport better than others because they can adjust their style to suit different individuals and situations.
I have found empathy to be an invaluable tool when interviewing subjects of my FBI investigations. Many people believe that empathy is simply feeling sorry for others or experiencing the same emotion as the person they are talking to.
Instead, it’s making a conscious effort to imagine how others feel in their situation. I always took the time to consider their perspectives, motivations and challenges, especially when they differed from my own.
Leaders with empathy recognize the feelings of others, even when those feelings may not be obvious. As a result, they are usually excellent at managing relationships, listening and relating to others. They avoid stereotyping and judging too quickly and live their lives openly and honestly.
A 2021 Catalyst study found that approximately 61% of workers with highly empathic senior leaders report being continuously or often innovative at work, compared to only 13% who have less empathic senior leaders.
One of the significant reasons empathy can help modern leaders be more effective is the major changes happening in the workplace, such as layoffs, hybrid working schedules and a multi-generational workforce. Leaders need to be flexible and responsive to the distinct needs of each generation.
How to make it work for you:
Read fiction: The more you can relate to fictional characters, the more you practice empathy. You can listen to other people’s experiences and believe they’re valid. You don’t have to deny your own experience to accept someone else’s.
Ask Questions: Empathy isn’t mind-reading. It’s more about actively trying to appreciate someone else’s perspective. If you’re in a situation and struggling with empathy, be curious and ask questions so you understand it better.
3. Make better decisions
Emotional intelligence enables leaders to consider both the rational analysis and the emotional impact of their decisions. Because they are self-aware, they recognize their own emotions and understand how these feelings can influence their judgment, especially in stressful situations.
As a result, they can remain calm, avoid impulsive reactions and make logical decisions even in high-pressure situations.
A 2015 study found a direct association between emotional intelligence and effective decision-making. However, what was most striking in the study was the variation in decision-making outcomes among the two different leadership styles.
For example, transactional leaders use rewards and punishments to motivate and direct. They make decisions by clarifying tasks, setting clear expectations and employing a system of rewards and penalties to ensure compliance and performance. Emotional intelligence supports transactional leaders by enabling them to shift from giving orders to fostering autonomy, coaching, supporting and empowering others to lead from their current position.
In contrast, a transformational leader empowers individuals to create positive change through a compelling vision, inspiration and a call to action. Leaders facilitate change by emotionally connecting with their audience and motivating them to achieve something greater than they ever imagined. Transformational leaders typically transform their followers into leaders.
How to make it work for you:
Understand your leadership style. Reflect on how you could have utilized EI to make more informed decisions that positively impacted your team.
Anticipate how your decisions will affect others, fostering a more inclusive and ethical decision-making process.
Communicate decisions, listen to feedback and build consensus. This approach not only enhances the quality of decisions but also strengthens relationships and trust within teams.
Emotional intelligence is essential for modern leaders to connect with people, foster innovation and make sound decisions.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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