Emotional Intelligence (EQ) – The Hidden Superpower of Successful leaders

EQ is a skill that enables us all to navigate life changing events (both good and bad) and can be used to great effect in our personal as well as professional lives

IQ is a measure of cognitive abilities typically considered to be something you’re born with. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) on the other hand, is a measure of your ability to understand and manage emotions - both your own and others' and can be developed over time through learning and experiences.

EQ is a skill that enables us all to navigate life changing events (both good and bad), and can be used to great effect in our personal as well as professional lives. Developing EQ skills for leadership can also influence the way we show up at home. Examples of leading with EQ include: 

• ABILITY TO PICKUP NON-VERBAL SIGNS – EQ leaders are able to observe people's behaviour and to pick up on unspoken cues including facial expressions and body language which equips them to better understand why people behave the way they do. 

• ARE ADEPT AT CONFLICT RESOLUTION – EQ Leaders recognise that whether at home or work, strong emotions are often the result of a person often feeling unheard or believing their values have been trampled upon rather than simply dismissing the other person as an “entitled” Gen Z for example.  EQ leaders do not shy away from addressing conflict. In fact, rather than pretending there are no issues and then sweeping things under the carpet, EQ leaders facilitate open dialogue and work towards a resolution. They know and understand that for many, there is nothing worse than a leader who sits on the fence or dithers. This is poor leadership. In my 15+ years as Executive Coach and in Executive Search, I can confirm what many say in that:

'People don't leave bad companies, they leave bad managers'.

• MOTIVATOR – Great leaders bring out the best in everyone including extroverts, introverts and those from marginalised groups who may often be overlooked.

• TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ARE NOT EGO DRIVEN – EQ leaders own up to their actions including mistakes. They see no need to blame external factors nor do they look for scapegoats.  Instead, they reflect on their role and on whether this may have contributed to the situation they/their team/org. now find themselves in. This could be anything from poor (top down) communication or not providing the team with enough resources.

EQ leaders focus on the ball not the player

• AVOID PERSONALISATION – EQ Leaders focus on issues rather than the individual. In other words, they focus on the ball not the player. They do not take criticisms personally nor do they let their anger cloud their judgement. Instead, they encourage two-way dialogue viewing this as an opportunity to learn and improve as well as an opportunity to explain their decision.

• CREATE A CULTURE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY – Through their actions and language, EQ leaders create an environment where people can be themselves. This can sometimes mean addressing the impact of negative individuals on the team especially if/when it is affecting the team’s safety, productivity, and/or innovation. They do not protect "star players" who are making life a misery for everyone else because they know in the long run, this could come back to bite them if safety, fraud, bad behaviour and/or other important matters are covered up or ignored out of fear or the belief that no one will believe them over the perpetrator.

Their EQ skills provide these leaders with the confidence to get out of their comfort zones and echo chambers

• PRACTICE EMPATHY – EQ leaders know & understand that to serve and recruit global customers and employees, they need to actively engage with people from diverse backgrounds. Their EQ skills provide these leaders with the confidence to get out of their comfort zones and/or the echo chambers of ‘Yes’ colleagues and make a point of meeting people from different departments, walks of life and so on. Their ability to be curious about other people & cultures enables them to build empathy for people who see and experience the world differently. Their EQ skills enable them to match their feelings with those of the people they lead and serve. Empathy is an asset when it comes to developing more harmonious relationships in our professional as well as personal lives.

When proved wrong, EQ leaders don't waste time or energy spinning or covering up

• DEMONSTRATING LEADERSHIP EVEN WHEN VULNERABLE - EQ leaders are comfortable showing vulnerability because they know they don't know everything and that sometimes they will get things wrong. So when this happens, EQ leaders don't waste time or energy spinning or covering up. Instead, they are comfortable raising their hand and apologising because they have created a culture in which admitting one's mistakes is not regarded as shameful. However, while they are willing to show some levels of vulnerability, they also present a clear path forward while doing so.

Their ability to be curious about other people & cultures enables them to build empathy for people who see and experience the world differently

• PROVIDING ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK - When giving criticisms, EQ leaders provide specific, actionable feedback for improvement. They know and understand that while providing feedback (especially criticism) requires some diplomacy, empathy and sensitivity, they also understand that the party receiving this feedback (i) has a right of reply and (ii) be provided with guidance on how they can steer the ship back on course. This comes from clear, specific, and actionable feedback.

EQ leaders don’t shy away from conflict. Instead, they address conflict calmly and respectfully while listening to other perspectives 

• CONFLICT MANAGEMENT – EQ leaders don’t shy away from conflict. Instead, they address conflict calmly and respectfully, listening to other perspectives and then responding calmly. They understand that not all conflicts or challenges require an immediate response and that sometimes, taking time to reflect or even requesting to sleep on it, may be the best way forward to enable discussions to resume when tempers have cooled. EQ leaders also know and understand that often, angry employee or customers telling them where they have gone wrong is far more helpful than those who say nothing and then leave the organisation or take their business elsewhere.

EQ leaders show kindness because they know and understand the contagious nature of emotions

• PARTICIPANT AND OBSERVER – During conversations (whether in their professional or personal lives), EQ leaders are able to behave as active participants as well as (objective) observers. They put their points forward calmly but also allow the other person(s) to speak and then demonstrate to the other person that they have been heard by saying something along the lines of "What I am hearing from you is..." or, because they also observe, they may say "I noticed you were rather quiet during our meeting this morning. I just wanted to check to see if there's anything you would like to discuss or whether any support is needed?" EQ leaders are also able to sense when someone simply wants to vent and/or when someone is looking to them to provide a solution.

PRACTICE KINDNESS – Last but not least, EQ leaders show kindness. They know and understand the contagious nature of emotions and that their actions and behaviour can have a positive influence on those around them.  

By cultivating these attributes, EQ leaders build trust, inspire growth, and foster a culture of inclusion, respect, open dialogue, and innovation. I encourage you to integrate these EQ principles into your leadership approach and experience the benefits first-hand. 

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Scroll down to learn more About Me or click HERE or image below, to read more of my articles on Leading with Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

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ABOUT ME - I'm a Consultant specialising in ‘Inclusive Leadership and AI’ advising C-Level executives, leaders, and those in succession, on navigating the dynamic intersection of leadership, technology and inclusivity. My 'Inclusive Leadership & AI' programme begins with fostering Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Cultural Intelligence (CQ), recognising these as fundamental pillars in navigating the transformative and ever-changing environments shaped by emerging technologies including AI. I am deeply passionate about the transformative potential of AI - not just as a tool for speed, efficiency, or automating mundane tasks but also, as a tool for enhancing inclusion, self-improvement (by speeding up the learning process) and medical breakthroughs, to name but a few AI use cases. My focus and what I am looking to help build is Responsible AI through Inclusion utilising my 15+ years of experience in global recruitment, Executive Search & Coaching. I am also the co-founder of two tech startups: a digital recruitment platform; and a geocode system tailored for emerging markets.  If you wish to learn more about my EQ leadership coaching then please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. Click HERE