HUMAN RESOURCES Transition to Business By Paul Falcone
EQ Leaders Excel Because of Their Heightened Self-Awareness Emotional intelligence is discussed heavily in the private sector. It rests upon a foundation of trust and empathy for others. Business leaders known for having high “EQs”—emotional quotients—do more than listen; they care. They hear with their eyes in addition to their ears and walk in others’ shoes readily and without judgment, thereby making more thoughtful and deliberate decisions. They’re known as excellent communicators and leaders who overcome challenges and defuse conflict. EQ leaders recognize that social skills are as, if not more, important than raw intelligence because effective leadership requires getting things done through others—not despite them. Simply stated, emotional intelligence permits leaders to embrace nuances of human emotion in the workplace and can have pragmatic benefits, such as better collaboration among teams, greater creativity and innovation, and a happier, lighter culture. EQ can be taught and improved, which is why emotional intelligence represents one of the hottest trends in leadership development strategy today. Leaders known for possessing high levels of EQ are self-aware and often have a reputation for creating friendly and inclusive work environments, recognizing and sharing their own shortcomings and limitations, making themselves vulnerable (in a healthy sense) in an effort to build trust, letting go of mistakes and forgiving easily, neutralizing toxic personalities, and being good judges of character. What might this look like in practical terms? EQ leaders pride themselves on being coaches and mentors to their team members, they believe in establishing goals and celebrating successes, and they constantly look to make room for staffers on their schedules to listen empathically and share wisdom.
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They recognize that motivation is internal, and while they can’t motivate others directly, they can create a work environment in which others can motivate themselves. in short, they come from gratitude and selflessness and embrace and inspire others by paying it forward.
