Why bother developing your intelligence? I am talking about emotional intelligence. Research and anecdotal evidence point to many good reasons to do so.
According to author Daniel Golemen, the domains of emotional intelligence include self-awareness, self-control, self-motivation, empathy, and relationship management. Strengthening these competencies has many advantages in terms of leading others and solving problems. Let’s look at the benefits of developing our emotional intelligence.
Listen More and Build Teams
Emotionally intelligent people focus more on listening than on speaking. People with strong emotional intelligence skills are more concerned with giving others an opportunity to be heard rather than with voicing their own opinions. It is funny that most people who are good at listening develop a reputation as being great conversationalists. The probability of learning something new when we listen is greater than the probability of learning something new when we speak. When we listen, we will enhance our relationships with our employees, co-workers, and all stakeholders. We also enhance our relationships with our families.
We will become better team builders. We will be able to create a team environment where those on our team feel that they have psychological safety. They will feel as though they are being treated as an individual and recognized for their strengths and the value they bring to the team. Team members will value your transparency and the dignity and respect you display for them.
Grace Under Pressure
As you strengthen your ability to control your own emotions you will be calmer under pressure and be better at paying attention to detail and focus. This enhances critical thinking skills, problem-solving, and the ability to make decisions.
You will increase your ability to stay motivated and have the emotional energy to achieve goals. You will harness optimism which is a belief that tomorrow will be better than today, and you will have the energy to develop and execute a realistic plan to achieve the goals you set.
Collaborate and Cooperate
You will be more open to finding ways you can collaborate and cooperate with others. You will find more synergy between yourself and others and your team and other teams when pursuing opportunities. This all adds up to a better work climate where people feel safe demonstrating initiative and making decisions.
As you become more self-aware you will gain a better understanding of your biases. We all have biases based on our upbringing, culture, and life experience. The key is to understand the assumptions linked to those biases. Stronger emotional intelligence will help you be able to suspend those assumptions and keep your mind open to diverse views.
Become a Better Leader
When you think about what most of us want in a leader it comes down to the attributes of an emotionally intelligent person. Most of us want leaders who will listen, are team builders, treat us with respect, are calm under pressure, are optimistic, motivate others, and create a psychologically safe work environment. These are all benefits of becoming an emotionally intelligent person. As you enhance your emotional intelligence skills you will be able to lead better because it enhances your ability to influence others to achieve team goals and improve the organization.
Watch the video below to hear about the online Introduction to Emotional Intelligence Course. Enroll here
About John Gronski
Major General John L. Gronski (U.S. Army Retired) is the founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a leadership consulting firm. John is the author of two books, “Iron-Sharpened Leadership” and “The Ride of Our Lives” and he is an international and Fortune 500 speaker.
A decorated combat Veteran, infantryman, and Ranger School graduate, John is a transformational leader and has significant experience in business as a management consultant, where he led teams implementing large, complex projects. He now serves as an executive coach, leadership consultant, and trainer.
Learn more about John Gronski at https://johngronski.com/
