WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?

BE GOOD.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the set of emotional and social skills we use to navigate the world, in the workplace and in all areas of our lives.

Over the past 20-30 years an increasing body of evidence has shown that what separates great leaders from good leaders are high levels of emotional intelligence, consistent across all of the components that comprise EQ. Strengthening emotional Intelligence is now one of the top reasons why organisations globally engage a leadership coach to develop their leaders.

Your emotional intelligence impacts:

  • How you view yourself and how you show up in all areas of your life.
  • Your ability to develop and maintain satisfying relationships at work and in your personal life.
  • How you cope with challenges and your ability to thrive in the face of change and uncertainty.
  • Your skill at managing your emotions and choosing the most appropriate and meaningful response.
  • Your overall sense of well-being and happiness.
  • Your competence and success as a leader.

WHY IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE SO IMPORTANT FOR LEADERS?

All successful leaders must have a good level of cognitive intelligence (IQ). However, this alone is not enough. There are millions of people with high IQs who struggle to make progress at work due to challenges with their emotional and social skills. You can probably think of people you know who have exceptional cognitive abilities yet who have struggled to make impact at the highest level for this reason.

It is estimated that EQ accounts for between 27-45% of success for leaders. You don’t have to be the very smartest IQ wise to be a great leader – the key to your success is your EQ. The good news is that emotional intelligence is developmental – it is a set of skills that you can develop and strengthen over time, unlike your IQ, which peaks in young adulthood.

HOW DO I IMPROVE MY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?

The starting point for developing your emotional intelligence is assessing your current EQ. Once you are aware of your strengths and challenge areas, you can work on improving areas that are holding you back from peak performance. In addition, you can further refine your strongest areas and develop your emotional ‘super-powers’.

Most leaders will have taken personality tests at some points in their career, most likely MBTI or DISC profiling. These can be really useful tools when combined with coaching, however they are not hold the keys to leadership success. Your personality is relatively fixed and does not tend to alter greatly across your life. Awareness of challenge areas can be extremely useful in your personal and professional development, but it is not paint the complete picture.

An EQ assessment when combined with coaching and mentoring can enable you to overcome your emotional blindspots and develop the resources to succeed as a leader – and also find fulfilment and happiness in your life overall.

ASSESSING YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

An emotional intelligence (EQ) leadership assessment and report is a core component included with all coaching relationships I enter into in with leaders. I am certified in administering EQi 2.0 and 360 assessments, which is the leading tool globally for assessing and developing emotional intelligence. It is a British Psychological Society assessed and accredited tool, scientifically proven to reliably measure and assess emotional intelligence. There are 15 sub-domains of emotional intelligence, providing a forensic level of detail about your emotional and social skills, broken down into 5 broad categories:

  • Self Perception
  • Self Expression
  • Interpersonal
  • Stress Management
  • Decision Making

In addition to assessing your own levels of emotional intelligence, the assessment can also be used for gaining insight from your team members in the form of a 360 assessment.

As well as being incorporated into all the leadership training programmes I offer, EQi 2.0 can also be incorporated into group and team training programmes.

The EQi 2.0 Model

What are some of the benefits of developing by Emotional Intelligence?

The multitude of benefits you will get from developing your EQ are too long to list here. Some of the most powerful include:

  1. Development of the four common leadership dimensions inherent to most models of leadership: Authenticity, Coaching, Insight, and Innovation
  2. Developing high levels of empathy – being able to see the world as others see it and act accordingly. This is the single most important skill in being a successful leader and having great relationships in all areas of your life.
  3. Improved confidence and self esteem – recognising and valuing your own strengths. Helping you perform consistently at a higher level, tackling areas of challenge and making progress quickly.
  4. Ability to influence others and manage conflicts using assertiveness and strong interpersonal skills.
  5. Develop strategies to manage your emotions in stressful situations – being able to consciously choose how you respond.
  6. Resilience and thriving in the face of change and transformation.
  7. Create a strategy with clear and practical goals and actions to continuously develop your emotional intelligence over time.
  8. Feel happier and more content with stronger relationships in all areas of your life.

HOW DO WE GET STARTED?

If you’re ready to take the next step to develop your leadership skills or those of the people within your organisation, the next step is to arrange a consultation to discuss the best approach, tailored to you as an individual and/or that of your organisation. This may include coaching, mentoring, training or other consultancy services offered by Chris.

“I have extra strings to my bow for coping with work and life challenges, which have brought about a degree of positivity – remarkable!”

Simon, Cyber Security Consultant

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