Organised, confident, enthusiastic, committed, consistent!
These are some of the traits needed to be a good leader.
But why be a good leader when you can be a great one?
There’s only one thing that separates the good from the great – and that’s emotional intelligence.
Managing your emotions
At its most basic, emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand and regulate your emotions and those of the people around you.
In practical terms, this means being aware that emotions drive your behaviour and impact others (positively and negatively) and learning how to manage those emotions, especially when you’re under pressure.
This is particularly relevant to business leaders, because as a leader, you set the emotional tone in your organisation.
The emotional state you demonstrate (consciously, or unconsciously) primes the behaviour of your employees.
Let me demonstrate.
Do you think you are good at hiding your feelings/emotions?
Have you ever asked someone how they feel and they answer they are fine; and yet, you have the distinct feeling they are not fine. How do you know that?
We know that animals can sense our feelings and are more likely to attack when we are in “Fear” than when we are feeling strong and in control. What people generally don’t know is humans are also good at sensing other’s feelings – they have just forgotten how to do it most of the time when it really matters.
So, if you can sense when others are lying about how they are, others can also sense when you are putting on an act! This has important repercussions for businesses.
If you’re positive and motivating, and I mean really that and not just pretending, your staff will be also begin to be motivated.
If you’re negative, it will bring your staff down and affect their productivity and level of engagement.
If you are a good leader, but think you are hiding your emotions / feelings, think again. Great leaders don’t need to hide their feelings – they can change how they feel. They know how emotions shape their behaviour and know how to change their emotions to elicit the best from those they lead.
Emotional intelligence coaching
The good news is you can improve the emotional climate of your organisation with the help of an emotional intelligence coach.
Having worked with many professional entrepreneurs, business owners and public organisations, I‘m very well placed to help you master your emotional intelligence and become the best leader you can be.
How?
There are five basic components of emotional intelligence:
- Self-awareness: Knowing what you are feeling at any given moment and understanding the impact it has on others
- Self-regulation: Controlling or redirecting your emotions; anticipating consequences before acting on impulse
- Motivation: Utilising emotional factors to achieve goals and persevere in the face of obstacles
- Empathy: Being sensitive to the emotions and needs of others
- Social skills: Managing relationships, inspiring others and eliciting the response you want from them.
The more that you as a leader, control these components, the more successful you will be in business.
Through emotional intelligence coaching, I can help you understand these elements and give you the tools to develop them – resulting in a happier workforce and a healthier bottom line.
Contact me
I’m convinced that mastering your emotional intelligence will be the most valuable personal and professional training you’ll ever undertake.
To start your journey, email me at sanjay@sanjayshah.tv or call me on 0121 270 6060