Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Do you dream about being an irresistible leader everyone respects? Do you want a better work environment?
It is easy.
All you need is to understand how to lead with emotional intelligence.
About emotional intelligence
If there were only one leadership book, it would be Primal Leadership by Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee. You don’t need anything else.
Primal leadership makes you realize how much positive emotions matter.
“Positive thinking brings out the best in people. “— Primal leadership
When you are a moody leader, your team will ride up and down with you. If you are positive, your team is positive. If you are stressed, your team is stressed.
Understanding your emotions makes you closer to the emotions of others.
Let’s split emotional intelligence into:
Personal (self-awareness and self-management)
Social competencies (social awareness and relationship management).
Cultivate self-awareness
If you are self-aware, you understand yourself, your emotions, and your reactions. You can reflect on what is happening and decide how to respond.
You are in charge.
People with high self-awareness are realistic. They do what feels right for them and other people. They use intuition to guide them through difficult decisions.
1. Emotional self-awareness
With high emotional self-awareness, you understand your inner voice and feelings. You recognize how these influence your thinking and decisions.
You can talk openly about how you feel. You can convince your team why your direction is the right one. Leaders with high emotional self-awareness can inspire and bring a vision to life.
2. Accurate self-assessment
Self-awareness is all about knowing your strengths and weaknesses. You don’t appear better than you are. You are open to criticism and feedback as you want to learn new skills.
Accurate self-assessment expands your limits. Say ‘you don’t know’ more often and be open to learning.
3. Self-confidence
You know your skills, and you know what you are proficient at. It gives you the confidence to perform the most difficult tasks. You become efficient in making decisions.
Work on self-management
When you are aware of your emotions, you can manage them.
You want to control your emotions, not the other way around.
Many times managers feel stress, frustration, or panic. Sadly, this creates a toxic and pressured environment.
Self-management is crucial for successful collaboration. Simply put, no one wants to work with short-tempered leaders.
4. Self-control
Can you control yourself? How do you avoid the urge to answer straightaway and pay the same card to people who treat you like garbage? Well, that’s what self-control is for.
Successful leaders stay positive and calm no matter what. They manage their impulses, tempers, and moods.
Get your bearings before you start a discussion.
5. Transparency
Being open is the key to success. Transparency communicates your beliefs and values and lays the foundation for your actions. Transparent leaders are predictable, and so, easy to work with.
Admit mistakes, ask for help, and hold other people accountable. These are better than trying to hide them.
6. Adaptability
We work in a fast and volatile environment. No need to freak out when a new challenge occurs; embrace it.
Don’t let changes steer you off your vision and goal. Always see the bigger picture while dealing with everyday troubleshooting.
7. Achievement
You may have heard: Stillness is for losers. You always want to push boundaries and create challenging yet achievable goals. You work to achieve something.
Continuous learning makes employees loyal and leaders respected.
8. Initiative
Who does not love managers who look for opportunities?
If you see the big picture, you take a swing. You tend to ask what can be improved, what we can optimize, and how we can be better.
The future is bright when you know where you are heading.
9. Optimism
I haven’t had a smooth project. There were always some hiccups on the way. How did I get over them? By being positive. Stress kills motivation and optimism. Don’t let that happen on your team.
Present problems as opportunities and show your glass is always half-full.
Understand social awareness
Social awareness is also sometimes called empathy. You can understand and read the feelings of other people. You connect with other people much easier as you know how to talk to them at that specific moment.
Understand social awareness and be able to use appropriate communication. Listen to others and be open to different perspectives.
10. Empathy
Empathetic leaders are not sensitive. They are understanding.
With their ability to read moods, they can speak with people effortlessly. Empathy is powerful at work but also in your private life.
11. Organizational awareness
How well do you handle office politics?
Organizational awareness helps you identify key networks and people. It allows you to understand values and processes. So, eventually, you swim like a fish in water.
12. Service
Leaders skilled in service deliver what their clients or teams need. Customer satisfaction is essential. To stay on top of your game, get regular feedback.
Get in touch with your stakeholders and learn what they need and how. You will become a better leader.
Lead Relationship management
Everything is about communication and relationships. The better you communicate, the better relationships you can build.
No relationship can work without trust.
Don’t expect people to trust you automatically because of your job title. Put your team and effort into building relationships.
13. Inspiration
Do you like working with inspiring people? Me, too. Choose to be one of them.
You need a vision and clear direction to get people to follow you. When you have a purpose, your team is likely to feel their job has some meaning.
It is too easy to get drowned in everyday problems. When you miss the purpose, you are dissatisfied and seek a change. Make sure your team knows why they are there.
14. Influence
Companies overlook negotiation and persuasion too often. Managers need this skill to manage relationships. You need to drive win-win solutions and get people on your side.
The easiest way is to make people part of the problem. Invite them to discussions. Listen to what they say. As a result, they will follow you.
15. Developing others
Being a leader is about other people.
You can help them reach their goals, develop their skills, and be the best version of themselves. The most memorable leaders are genuinely interested in others and their talents.
You will have fun with this skill as you mentor, manage, and coach your team.
16. Change catalyst
Too many changes are as problematic as too few. Leaders need to recognize when it’s a good time for a change. Besides, they have to keep an eye out for unexpected events.
Employees have natural barriers to change. Leaders can help them overcome their fears and catalyze change together. Change advocacy and management have never been more relevant than now.
17. Conflict management
Relationships are full of conflicts. Managers are in the middle of them.
Cultivate your ability to manage conflicts. Listen to both sides, manage feelings, and facilitate solutions.
Conflict management should bring people back together. What makes them different should be replaced by shared goals and solutions.
18. Teamwork and collaboration
Leaders never work alone. You are part of your team. Contribute to a positive work atmosphere, work with your coworkers and have fun with them.
Everyone wishes for a friendly work environment and supportive colleagues. If a leader behaves this way, others will follow. Invest in relationships and a sense of belonging.
The right relationships keep people together and inspire them to achieve.
Final encouragement
Being a ‘badass leader’ isn’t a thing. It’s an aggregation of many things done extremely well. Primal Leadership teaches you how positive emotions lead to positive things.
Don’t underestimate self-awareness and social awareness. Both contribute to how you behave in your relationships.
Lead to make a difference. Positive emotions will help you on the way.