In the world of work we hold perceptions that emotions are impediments to effective business. But the truth is that emotions are part of the human condition. If managed effectively, they can become a great asset to your personal leadership!
The field of study in Emotional Intelligence had provided us light into the importance of managing emotions. Research has proven that Emotional Intelligence (EI) is more reliable in predicting success in work than Intelligence Quotient (IQ) by itself. In a simple way, Emotional Intelligence is ‘the ability to think constructively and act wisely’ (Darwin & Nelson). There are the four important skills involved in Emotional Intelligence:
1. Self-Realization: One who is able to identify their feelings and emotions.
2. Self-Control: One who is able to self-regulate by thinking before acting.
3. Empathy: One who is able to identify with the emotions and feelings of others.
4. Responsive: One who is able to respond appropriately in all situations.
If EI is such an important component of success, don’t we want more of it?
If you hold a leadership role in your organization, be aware of the value of improving your EI skills. Leaders who consistently practice Emotional Intelligence make better decisions, build healthy relationships, and manage stress more effectively. They also adapt more efficiently to change and in general, achieve better results.
Successful leaders manage to harmonize “the head and the heart”
Goleman
Along my career, I recall at least two Managers that were reactive and had a very short fuse. Their team members used to feel apprehensive and retracted from speaking up, share ideas and propose solutions.
I once coached a leader who wanted to increase his self-control. The action plan involved increasing his ability to ‘notice’ when he was feeling edgy. He learned to recognize the thoughts that were creating the negative emotions. Could he change his thoughts for more constructive ones? He also learned to name his emotions. Was it anger or impatience? The next step was to learn how to act wisely by increasing his self-control. Could he take some minutes to breath and calm down before acting? In few weeks of practicing these new skills, he was feeling much better and his team appreciated the changes on his behaviors!!
Emotions are not impediments but catalyst to great influence and impact if managed them wisely. The next time you are feeling negative emotions, stop and notice what thoughts you are entertaining. It is amazing how changing the way we think can impact our feelings. Our feelings impact our actions and actions impact our results.
Emotions do matter and it pays off to harmonize the head with the heart!