Becoming an Emotionally Intelligent Teammate and Leader

What is EI?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your emotions, as well as the ability to recognize and influence the emotions of others. It’s also defined as the balance between the emotional and rational parts of your brain.

Why It Matters:

Some researchers estimate emotional intelligence (EI) accounts for as much as 75 percent of a person’s ability to succeed. EI is just as important as IQ in the workplace, and crucial for leaders.

Simple Ways to Develop Your EI:

1. Pay attention to your own emotions and reactions. Begin to notice how you are feeling at any given moment.

2. Begin to intentionally manage your emotions. Notice when you are in a negative or positive mood. Pause before acting or reacting.

3. Develop Empathy. Listen to those explaining situations to you and try to understand where they are coming from.

Cultivating EI as a Leader

EI is crucial for all leaders. Developing emotional intelligence simply involves taking extra time and energy to observe and be aware of your own feelings and those of your coworkers.

The first step in gauging EI as a leader is to gain objective feedback from the people you live and work with. When asked to rate themselves, executives with low EI gave themselves higher marks than their employees. Your business and the people who work for you will benefit from the tone you set and your effort to practice emotional intelligence.