Emotional Intelligence – Imperative to Success
These days more than ever, Emotional Intelligence is playing a key roll in one’s personal and professional growth. In my role as an Executive Coach I’ve seen some very qualified, well-prepared professionals get tripped up because of low emotional intelligence (EQ). Many people are so focused on their IQ that they completely forget to consider their EQ, which is a determining factor in their success.
There are many definitions out there but before we start, I want to offer a very simple one to get everyone on the same page. Emotional intelligence is being in touch with your own feelings and the feelings of others enough to be very effective in your communication and your persuasive ability. It is how effectively and competently you manage your feelings.
In the workplace, it is essentially the ability of a group of people to efficiently work together in accomplishing common goals while achieving success, personally and professionally. On a personal level, the higher the EQ one possesses, the more prepared they are to meet and manage life’s challenges. In reality people with elevated levels of EQ experience more happiness, joy and success.
Most of the time I see low emotional intelligence in relationship to communication. It’s usually the first sign that appears when things are off. About 99% of the time if I’m working with an individual, or an organizational leader, it’s almost always communication issues that come up if they are experiencing challenges in the workplace. Communication is such a vital element in everyone’s life; it’s easy to see why communication must be dealt with in order for professionals to excel.
According to Deb Sandella, PhD, “Statistically 90% of the high performers are high emotional intelligence.” In addition, she correlates emotional intelligence to ROI, stating, “We also know that a team’s profitability increases or decreases by 20%, depending on if the leader is highly emotionally intelligent.”
When you consider these statistics, it’s clear that your emotional intelligence is imperative to your success. As you are probably figuring out, the EQ of your leader, boss, or supervisor, is also going to influence your own success. Many of my clients are corporations that have issues at the C-Suite level. Usually the work is getting done but morale is often low. Sometimes, high turnover signals that a leader is low on the EQ scale. What’s interesting is that a lot of these people somehow, in spite of themselves, move ahead.
Since EQ is a mix of self-awareness and empathy for others, a big part of my job as a coach is to help individuals maintain their position of power while opening up to those around them. This requires the willingness to be vulnerable, which can be difficult. It’s also about understanding and being able to appreciate how somebody else might feel. Seeing things from a perspective other than your own. It’s those two basic things that create a solid foundation. Without both, you may well experience potential problems.
When leaders start questioning themselves, some of their decisions, they start to develop emotionally. I see it and so do others around them. When they start asking rather than telling, I know they are on the right track and I’ve been successful in my work with them. It’s amazing to see just how quickly the growth can happen with the right help. The very best result is that leaders feel better, more confident and more in control of themselves. With increased emotional intelligence their professional and personal lives improve and they are on the road to true and sustainable success.
Interested in learning more about how to increase your EQ? Visit my blog at ReginaBarr.com. To view my interview with Deb Sandella, PhD, tune in to Spot-On™ with Regina Barr.
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