THE POWER OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS
Famed American psychologist and pioneer in emotional intelligence Daniel Goleman once said, “In a very real sense we have two minds: one that thinks, and one that feels.” As leaders, the significance of this insight is invaluable. Far too many leaders undermine their effectiveness by focusing only on what’s in their heads and the tools within their reach — data, resources, technology, etc. Yet, by ignoring or downplaying the role our emotions play, we miss a key component needed to manage change effectively.
Some seasoned leaders hold on too long to tasks they should have delegated to others, missing the opportunity for amplified productivity. On the other hand, rising, developing leaders rush to be in the forefront before their time, hindering their potential for long-term effectiveness. What causes leaders to fall into these common pitfalls? A lack of emotional awareness.
As we approach the historic final International Leadership Summit, let’s examine the power of understanding how our emotions influence leadership transitions and the “changing of the guard.”
THE BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is commonly defined as “the ability to understand and manage our own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.” This understanding is critical because being an effective leader doesn’t start and end with just understanding our own feelings. We must be empathetic enough to care about the people we lead and understand how they are processing their emotions if our leadership is to produce fruitful results. Key elements of emotional intelligence every leader must cultivate include self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.
To reap the benefits of EI, every leader must first take their emotional development seriously. Recognizing our lack of emotional maturity is one of the first areas of accountability for every leader. The rewards we reap in our present-day goals and generational development cannot be overstated. EI builds stronger relationships, improves our communication abilities, helps us make better decisions, and aids in resolving conflict while overcoming life’s stress.
SHARPENING YOUR EMOTIONAL AWARENESS
No matter where we are in our leadership journey, the present is always the right time to develop our emotional wellness. We’ve all heard horror stories of visionary leaders whose destinies were derailed by failing to manage their emotions. If we’re going to improve our EI, here are some practical areas to address:
- Be honest about your feelings: Locating what we are feeling is the primary step toward responding in life’s situations. Hiding from what we feel is self-sabotage.
- Recognize how feelings impact actions: Nothing just happens. Observing our patterns and mastering our lifestyle comes from knowing how our internal health is affecting our outward expression.
- Respond rather than react: In stressful situations, the most effective leaders know to pause rather than react without thinking.
- Improve your social skills: The ability to interact and communicate effectively within a variety of social situations is a precious skill in the landscape of leadership.
- Be aware of others’ needs: The best leaders pay attention and prioritize active listening to understand over hearing themselves talk.
If you want to raise the bar on your leadership skillset, make sure you’re at ILS 2025! This promises to be a game-changing event you don’t want to miss! REGISTER here.