EQ AS A LEADERSHIP PREDICTOR

Dr. Deepti Mankad, PhD

A study published in the recent issue of the California Management Review stated that “Emotional Intelligence will soon be the most desirable Job Skill”

So, what is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional Intelligence (EI), commonly referred to as Emotional Quotient (EQ) is claimed to be the key to success. EI is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you.

The five components of Emotional Intelligence

Self Awareness

Self Regulate

Empathy Motivation Social Skills

1. Self-Awareness

People with high EQ are usually very selfaware and understand their emotions, and because of this, they don't let their feelings rule them.

Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses and behaving with humility.

2. Self-regulation

This aspect of EI involves the appropriate expression of emotion. Self-regulation includes staying in control, being flexible, coping with change, and managing conflict.

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values.

3. Motivation

People with a high degree of emotional intelligence are usually motivated. They are willing to defer immediate results for longterm success.

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals and have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.

4. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand how other people are feeling. Empathy involves understanding power dynamics, and how these affect feelings and behavior, as well as accurately perceiving situations where power dynamics come into force.

As a Leader having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy can put themselves in someone else's situation.

5. Social skills

This component of EI refers to interacting well with other people. It involves applying an understanding of our emotions and others to communicate and interact with others on a day-to-day basis. A leader who excels at the social skills elements of emotional intelligence is an excellent communicator. They are open to hearing both good and bad news and are experts at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission.

Here are some tips to help build our EQ:

Learn what your triggers are and how they impact your emotions

Ask for feedback from others often and openly

Be an active listener, step back and look at things objectively

Practice deep breathing, relax your body, keep a clear mind

Focus on other people's perspectives and show interest in others

Take time to learn the norms of the organizational culture

Nurture relationships: acknowledge others' needs and feelings

Manage expectations appropriately

Building emotional intelligence is not only a strong predictor of effective leadership but can contribute to greater productivity, performance, and ultimately profitability for all.