4 Signs You Are An Emotionally Intelligent Leader

by Sarah McGrath, Manager of Recruitment and Development Function, Sigmar Recruitment.

What sets people apart from their peers is not only their cognitive intelligence or a specific skill set. Instead, it’s their emotional intelligence: their ability to identify and monitor emotions – their own and others’ – and to develop and manage a productive relationship which in turn, rewards good results.
 
For leaders, having emotional intelligence is essential for success. After all who is most likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at their team when under stress, or a leader who stays in control and calmly assesses the situation?
 
While emotional intelligence becomes more important as a person climbs the ranks in an organisation due to their widening influence on the daily work of more people, this skill is still linked to success at all levels.
 
Here are four traits of an emotionally intelligent leader:
 
Self-Awareness
You have a solid understanding of your own feelings and emotions, your strengths and weaknesses, and what drives them. You understand your values and goals and where you are going in life.
You understand your own capabilities and limitations.
You operate from competence and know when to rely on someone else on the team. You’re also willing to talk about yourself in a straight, non-defensive manner.
 
Self-Management – Self Control
You feel bad moods and impulses just like everyone else, but you don’t act on them; in fact, you control them.
You can wait until your emotions pass so you can respond from a place of reason. You’re interested in moving yourself forward toward some vision, goal, or strategy.
You’re self-motivated, and you keep moving toward distant goals even when you experience setbacks. You have a positive outlook for the future.
 
Social Awareness
You’re willing to share your own worries and concerns and openly acknowledge others’ emotions.
You’re a good listener and you pay full attention to others and take the time to understand what they are saying and what they mean without interrupting or speaking over them.
Because you understand other perspectives, you can explain ideas in a way that your colleagues will comprehend and you welcome their questions.
 
Relationship Management
You provide a vision that motivates others. You use your emotional intelligence to create and nurture resonant relationships with others through awareness and compassion.
You’re a compelling communicator and you articulate your points in persuasive, clear ways so that people are motivated about expectations.
You use your emotional intelligence to improve relationships, negotiate, and lead. You can settle disputes, differences of opinion, and misunderstandings.
You’re not resistant to change; on the contrary, you recognise the need for change, and you support the process.
You provide feedback and are good at helping others build their skills and knowledge, thus, people feel relaxed working with you.
 
 
If you feel you are an emotionally intelligent leader, then keep up the good work and continue to develop and set the standard.
 
If emotional intelligence is something you wish to improve on and develop, a good starting point is to focus on reducing your negative approach to a situation, to engage in group or one on one coaching and to work on your ability to manage your own stress response. Whilst making these changes may not be easy, remember that emotional intelligence is absolutely essential in the formation, development, maintenance, and enhancement of close personal relationships and it can help keep you on track to become the best version of leader you can be!

About the author
Sarah McGrath has spent over 8 years in the recruitment industry, five years of which spent in executive search in the insurance industry, working with top tier insurance companies and brokerages. Sarah’s strengths are in relationship management and business development. Sarah holds a BA Hons in Business and Marketing and is a Fully Qualified Nutritional Therapist Dip. With this, Sarah coaches individuals around their diet and lifestyle with a view to improving their health for better career output. Separately, Sarah manages the Recruitment and Development Function in Sigmar.

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