The Power of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
You’ve probably worked with a leader or peer who struggled to connect with others - someone who was dismissive, lacked empathy, and was unable to manage their emotions.
I know I have but instead of rehashing the past let's explore an iconic example: The Devil Wears Prada.
Take Miranda Priestly, who on Andy's first day, calls her Emily and stares at her coldly as she is kindly corrected. Miranda then rattles off a daunting list of tasks leaving Andy visibly confused and frustrated.
When Andy dares to ask a question, Miranda icily responds with, "Please bore someone else with your questions."
She then puts a fine tip on her dismissive attitude and proceeds to look Andy up and down, landing on her shoes followed by her signature "That's all."
Miranda's low Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is evident in her inability to understand the impact of her demands and dismissive attitude.
The impact is that Andy felt overwhelmed, confused, undervalued, and stressed. Despite being fictional, the scenario highlights how low EQ can damage morale and hinder performance. In this movie, Miranda's behavior almost crushed Andy's most cherished personal relationships.
Low EQ is often overlooked in leadership and team dynamics, yet it plays a crucial role in how we relate to each other.
For instance, high EQ individuals share a group of common traits:
Self-awareness: The ability to reflect on behavior and manage emotions accordingly.
Empathy: The capacity to understand or relate to the emotions and perspectives of others, which helps to build authentic relationships.
Effective communication: The skill to articulate thoughts clearly, listen to understand, and express emotions appropriately, leading to better collaboration and conflict resolution.
You can't snap your fingers to achieve a high-EQ workforce, it must be cultivated. Here are three foundational steps your organization can implement to raise the EQ of the team:
Development: Integrate EQ training and personal assessments like 360s, Hogan, DiSC, or MBTI into every development program you offer. Pair these assessments with coaching that builds self-awareness and you'll witness positive cultural shifts. I often use a combination of 360s and Hogan assessments to help leaders build self-awareness during coaching engagements.
Expectations: Set standards for expected behaviors within the organization. Include high-EQ behaviors in these expectations. Reward employees who demonstrate high EQ, and develop those who need improvement. Expectations and standards are often communicated through values-based competency models, which create a structure of accountability.
Communication: Foster an environment where open and honest communication is the norm. I once worked with a leader who claimed they had a "high feedback culture" yet when asked if they could provide upward feedback, they explained that leadership was not receptive. UGH!
Cultivating a high-EQ workforce is not just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for building resilient, high-performing teams that can navigate the complexities of today’s workplace. By investing in EQ development, setting clear expectations, and promoting transparent communication, organizations can unlock the full potential of their talent.