Whether a #manager or #leader in any business sector, private, not-for-profit or public sector, the skills required are the same. You need to be able to inspire, motivate, support and coach your staff to achieve your business outcomes. At a recent round table meeting on the subject of promoting equality, I was struck by conversations about poor leadership, lack of fairness and #bullying. Unsurprisingly, these behaviours don’t bring the best out of people and certainly don’t lead to more productive performance!
I have been supporting and developing individuals and teams throughout my career. What’s needed more than anything else is a degree of #emotional intelligence. Whether a manager, leader, staff member, parent, and partner we can all try to increase our emotional intelligence by:
- Being self-aware– recognising your own moods and drives, your own self-worth and that of others.
- Being self-regulating– being able to control or redirect impulses, to organise goals and fulfil obligations.
- Being motivating – pursue goals with energy, drive and optimism and support others in this.
- Being empathetic – be more understanding of the emotions of yourself and others, be sensitive to others and consider what it’s like to stand in their shoes.
- Being capable in building relationships – develop self-assurance, communicate and build trust with others.
This short video cleverly demonstrates compassion and empathy and why its such a fundamental skill. The next time you wonder why you didn’t get the best out of someone, are you sure it’s down to them? Reflect on it – maybe you are not EI enough.
“Could a greater miracle take place
than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?”
-Henry David Thoreau