008: Key Skills for Creating Your Future, Why Emotional Intelligence Matters for All Leaders

In this post, I am going to introduce the concepts and some of my thinking around Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional intelligence sounds like a very daunting word, but in the end, as we look through these skills, it's really common sense. It simply hasn't been common practice in our work and in the world. 

We tend to get consumed by an unending stream of activity and busyness.

A definition of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman is this:

Emotional Intelligence, a different way of being smart, is a key to high performance at all levels, particularly for outstanding leadership. It’s not your IQ: it’s how you manage yourself and your relationships.

Another quote to help set the stage is:

“We are human BEings, not human DOings.”
―John Bradshaw, “Healing the Shame that Binds You”

I will be exploring and sharing how these concepts can help you lead your factory forward. 

So to begin with, a little background,

I am currently in a development program to become a Certified Coach using emotional intelligence. This course is based on the work of Daniel Goleman, who wrote the book, Emotional Intelligence. 

His concept is that technical skills are important but only take you part of the way to success. It's the people skills or the emotional intelligence that's going to take you farther.

Based on Goldman’s question and research from the book, he has tried to answer the question, “What are the skills that set the top 10% of performers apart.” 

During his research, he was able to able to assess 100 companies and review their competency models. 

What he found was, as you go to higher levels of leadership you need more people skills than you do technical or analytical skills.

Certainly in manufacturing the technical skills are always going to be important, but at a certain point, it's actually how well you work with people or employees that will really make the difference. 

Four EI Domain Themes:

Self-Awareness - understanding your own emotions and how they affect you Self-Management - the ability to moderate or manage your emotions Social Awareness - being able to sense others emotions Relationship Management - how do we work with others to create positive outcomes for everyone

In this podcast series we will explore a summary of the 12 key competencies competencies, looking at 4 in each episode

12 key competencies:

Emotional self-awareness Emotional self-control Adaptability Achievement orientation Positive Outlook Empathy Organizational awareness Influence Coach and Mentor Conflict Management Teamwork Inspirational Leadership

Why is this Important?

As leaders, we get work done through others, it’s not just about our own efforts

Emotions have power, how we manage our own and are attentive to others emotions is a key element of our success and our teams’ success

If we don’t pay attention, we and our teams may not have alignment or connection

In a rapidly changing world, we have to keep developing ourselves and our teams with new skills for the future

Our organizations are becoming more complex and the external environment more disruptive

What are the Pain Points we might have with out these skills?

Emotions can derail us if we are not aware of them in ourselves and others. 

If we are upset or our teams are upset, we are clearly not able to our best.

Emotions can hijack our rational self and also other’s rational actions

We can end up in a downward spiral of negative reactions to each other.

A couple of other points about Emotional Intelligence

EI is not just warm and fuzzy, it’s also about:
adaptability, achievement, difficult conversations, and effective teamwork

As leaders, we tend to set the tone for the organizaiton. “A Leader can’t have a bad day”

From the book “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” - 3 P’s - Progress(not perfection), Practice, Patience - our behavior changes over time.

How can we start to build these skills?

Self-Awareness

Ask someone to give you feedback on your most recent meeting. Stop and reflect on what’s happened and how we might proceed differently next?

Self-Management

Take 5 minutes each morning to pick 3 things that are important to do Today Are you using your email inbox as your todo list? Is that effective? Begin to notice your emotional “triggers?”

Social Awareness

In your next meeting or conversation be very intentional about listening (and not just preparing talk) List out the top 10 relationships that important to your success? Learn to pay attention to our own and other’s emotions

Relationship Management

How have you set the tone in recent meetings or team interactions? How might you mentor or coach one of you team members to develop new skills? Map out what are the key conversations that need to happen in your next meeting?

In Summary:

EI is a critical skill for ourselves and our team’s success.

It is learnable

From the book “EI 2.0” - 3 P’s - Progress(not perfection), Practice, Patience - our behavior changes over time.

 

In the next 3 episodes we will be reviewing the 12 competencies

Their definition Why it matters What might be some first steps to take

How to begin Today - Call to Action:

What are 2-3 key relationships, how have your last 5 conversations gone? Were they productive, did they build your relationship? Or, did they diminish the relationship? Make note at the middle and the end of the day on how you are feeling? Are you positive, are you energized, have you seen progress?

Resources:

A Quick Overview of EI:

“Emotional Intelligence, a different way of being smart, is a key to high performance at all levels, particularly for outstanding leadership.” 

- Key Step Media

https://www.keystepmedia.com/emotional-social-intelligence-leadership-competencies/

“Working with Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman

Building Blocks of Emotional Intelligence: 12 Leadership Competency Primers, Key Step Media

https://www.keystepmedia.com/shop/12-leadership-competency-primers/#.XRy_RS2ZP2U

 

KeyStep Media articles on Emotional Intelligence

https://www.keystepmedia.com/emotional-intelligence/

 

Harvard Business Review Articles by Daniel Goleman

“Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves

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EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com