How can leaders help employees develop their emotional intelligence?
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Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own and others' emotions, and to use them effectively in different situations. EI is essential for successful leadership, as it helps you build trust, communicate clearly, motivate and inspire others, and handle conflicts and challenges. However, EI is not a fixed trait that you are born with or without; it is a skill that can be developed and improved with practice and feedback. As a leader, you can help your employees develop their EI by following these steps:
Before you can help your employees improve their EI, you need to know where they stand and what areas they need to work on. You can use various tools and methods to assess their EI, such as self-reports, 360-degree feedback, behavioral observations, or psychometric tests. The goal is to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the four domains of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
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Alis Anagnostakis, PhD
Adult development researcher | Group Facilitator | ICF PCC & Mentor Coach | Founder of Vertical Development Institute | Adjunct Fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast
As we know, EI is a multifaceted construct, including intrapersonal, and interpersonal elements. In my research, I found that how we relate to unpleasant/challenging (I never call them 'negative') emotions is a powerful catalyst of adult development (the ongoing process of building maturity and wisdom over one's lifetime). More specifically, people who are able to recognise the negative emotions that arise when their worldviews are challenged and be curious about these emotions (seeing them as opportunities for growth, rather than threats) are more likely to develop increased self-awareness (key to EI) and better communication/empathy/curiosity towards others (another key aspect of EI). Befriending our hard emotions is a skill we can train.
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Mick Todd
CEO & Founder - Global Success & Leadership Coach - Advanced Certified Gallup Strengths Coach - C-Suite, Elite Performance, High Performance Teams and Organizational Coach - 2023 Leadership Coach of the Year - MEA
What I love about EQ is it is such a dynamic and malleable type of intelligence. I think that the number one thing that leaders can do for their people is to open up space for reflection.
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Praisy Christian
𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 | 4 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 + Content Views | 34𝐤+ Followers | Content Creator | Influencer- Collaboration | Personal Branding
Enhancing emotional intelligence (EI) is crucial for effective leadership. To help employees develop their EI, focus on self-awareness, emotion regulation, empathy, social skills, self-motivation, feedback, modeling, emotional safety, training, and continuous practice. This fosters a more harmonious and productive work environment.
Once you have a clear picture of your employees' EI, you can provide them with coaching and feedback to help them grow and learn. Coaching is a process of asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and guiding your employees to discover their own solutions and insights. Feedback is a way of giving specific, constructive, and timely information about their performance and behavior. Both coaching and feedback should be based on the principles of empathy, respect, and trust, and should focus on the positive aspects of EI as well as the areas for improvement.
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Eli Embleton
Follow for posts about leadership insights, inspiration, and employee engagement | The Dream Manager at Zachry Corporation | Engaging speaker for your next conference or meeting
Leaders can help by making it a coaching priority. 1. In your weekly one-on-one meetings share what you’ve learned about your own emotions. 2. Encourage them to take notice of their emotional responses in different situations. 3. Rehearse daily scenarios and look for moments of heightened emotions. Offer your observations of how they've handled previous situations as feedback. p.s. All their answers can be private. Just walk them through the exercises.
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Alexis Carrasco Espina
Production Manager at Holcim | Cement Operations | Business Manager | Project Manager | Lean Manufacturing
Una de las cosas que he aprendido en mi carrera gerencial, es que la retroalimentación es un proceso de dos personas y ambos deben estar dispuestos a escuchar. Lo mejor siempre es cuando alguien nos pide retroalimentación porque está 100% abierto a recibirla y a querer mejorar a través de esta conversación.
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Gustavo Pino Avegno
Asset Management | Plant Manager | Project Manager | Process Manager | Maintenance Manager
De acuerdo a mi experiencia, acostumbro realizar una reunión mensual de retroalimentación individualmente con cada uno de los miembros de equipo al final de cada mes para revisar 2 puntos: 1. ¿Qué oportunidades de mejora podemos identificar durante las actividades del mes? 2. ¿Cuáles son las acciones que podemos comprometernos a realizar para lograr atender cada oportunidad de mejora? Lo que siempre solicito al iniciar esta reunión de retroalimentación, es que me cuenten una noticia positiva ya sea personal o laboral, esto ayuda a motivarlos y que se suelten para iniciar la reunión.
One of the most powerful ways to help your employees develop their EI is to model the behavior yourself. As a leader, you set the tone and the example for your team, and your actions speak louder than your words. Therefore, you need to demonstrate high levels of EI in your own interactions and decisions, and show your employees how to apply EI in different scenarios. For instance, you can show self-awareness by acknowledging your emotions and their impact, self-management by regulating your impulses and stress, social awareness by being attentive and respectful to others' feelings and needs, and relationship management by collaborating and resolving conflicts effectively.
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Divkiran Kathuria
Digital HR Transformation | HCM Product Management | ASIA's 100 WomenPowerLeaders 2023 | ET EmergingLeadersLeague 2022 | T.A. Pai YoungLeader 2020 | 40Under40 2019 | FutureOfWork | AI & HR | People Analytics
Leaders can foster the growth of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) within their teams not just through structured training and coaching, but also by championing everyday practices—small, actionable 'nano-tips' and habits that, over time, weave EQ into the fabric of their team's routine. Much like learning to meditate, developing EQ is a process that unfolds gradually and requires patience and persistence. It can't be mastered in a single session; it needs consistent practice, ideally under the watchful eye of a mentor, before the transformative effects become evident. Leaders who encourage and model this daily discipline of EQ-building activities can truly elevate their team's emotional acumen.
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Robert Barber, Developing Exceptional Leaders
Strategic Leadership Trainer | Sr HR Exec. | Serial Entrepreneur $917mm in Sales | Curriculum Designer | Best Selling Author | Adjunct Professor | Podcast Host | Key Speaker | Exec Coach | Electrical Engineer
Absolutely, leaders must exemplify emotional intelligence, but it's also vital to openly share the journey of developing EI, including challenges and setbacks. This transparency can demystify the process and encourage employees to persist in their own EI growth. Leaders should also recognize and share how EI contributes to better outcomes, making the connection between theory and practice. Encouraging a feedback loop where employees can voice how leader behavior impacts them can also reinforce EI principles, showing that it's a two-way street of continuous learning and adaptation.
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Beatrice Redi (PCC/ICF, CHO, PQ COACH™, MBA)
Positive Leadership Coach & Chief Happiness Officer | I help people in Life Sciences & beyond embrace change, cultivate happiness and growth. I partner to unleash untapped potential & lift you from your own fog.
Embarking on a journey to cultivate emotional intelligence within your team begins with you, the leader. It's about embodying the very essence of EI—recognizing your emotions, understanding their influence on your work and relationships, and responding with intentionality. It's found in the pauses before you speak, the empathy in your listening, and the inclusiveness of your decisions. By living these principles, you become the silent tutor, your actions crafting lessons more poignant than any seminar. Your daily practice becomes their learning canvas, painting a culture of emotional intelligence that can elevate the entire team to new heights of collaboration and understanding.
Another way to help your employees develop their EI is to create a supportive culture that values and encourages EI. This means fostering a climate of psychological safety, where your employees feel free to express their opinions, emotions, and concerns without fear of judgment or punishment. It also means promoting a culture of learning, where your employees are motivated to seek feedback, learn from their mistakes, and pursue their goals. Moreover, it means creating a culture of recognition, where your employees are appreciated and rewarded for their achievements and contributions.
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Nick (Nikolce) Markoski
Head of Retail @ Landmark Group | Driving Business Growth
As a person embracing the cultural nuances of the Middle East, I firmly believe that nurturing emotional intelligence among our teams across GCC countries through a foundation of empowerment, trust, and respect is paramount. By fostering an environment of inclusivity and open communication, exemplifying emotional intelligence in our behaviors, providing tailored training, encouraging self-reflection and personal growth, offering targeted coaching and constructive feedback, promoting collaboration and synergy, and rewarding emotional intelligence, we can foster a culturally sensitive and thriving workplace where emotional intelligence flourishes, fostering stronger relationships, enhancing productivity, and driving exceptional results.
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Sean Hurley
Teams I’ve built have driven $500M in revenue
A few years ago, working as a Chief Growth Officer at a Series A company, it hit me how powerful psychological safety can be to the well-being of a team/company. I've spent 17 years cultivating this type of safety on my teams, but the truth is, until it's a company-wide culture, it's not as impactful as it can be. How to start? It has to come from the leadership team. Once they show everyone else at a company that it's safe to share more openly, without the fear of judgment, a company/culture can embrace it.
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Tim Collins
Making a difference through coaching, strategy, and project development
A supportive culture is one which celebrates the positive, desired behaviours. Catch people out doing good! A strengths-based approach which reinforces the behaviours you want to see more of is far more effective than a punitive approach that only sanctions those you want to discourage.
Finally, you can help your employees develop their EI by providing them with opportunities and resources to practice and enhance their EI. For example, you can assign them challenging projects that require them to work with diverse people and situations, and to use their EI skills to overcome obstacles and deliver results. You can also encourage them to participate in training programs, workshops, or online courses that teach them the concepts and techniques of EI. Additionally, you can recommend them books, articles, podcasts, or videos that offer insights and tips on EI.
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Meera Remani
I help leaders ascend in their careers and lives | Impacted the trajectory of 10,000+ senior leaders | IIM L | Former @Amazon @P&G @Cognizant | DM for inquiries
Conduct role-playing exercises where employees can practice handling challenging interpersonal situations. This hands-on approach allows them to experiment with different responses and learn from their experiences. Following that up by encouraging employees to analyze their emotional reactions in various situations, fostering self-awareness and insight.
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Alexis Carrasco Espina
Production Manager at Holcim | Cement Operations | Business Manager | Project Manager | Lean Manufacturing
Siempre los retos que realizamos con proyectos que tienen un principio y un fin, son una ayuda muy importante para generar esa IE que necesitan nuestros empleados, pero esto debe ser siempre con acompañamiento de un senior leader, que bien podemos ser nosotros o designar a alguien con más experiencia para que realice el accountability del proyecto, que corrija en caso de ser necesario y que estimule la búsqueda de soluciones proactivas en el camino.
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Nathan Simmonds
Leadership Therapist - Rewiring possibility in Super Conscious Leaders 🧠🧬 Rapid Change Hypnotherapist at FreeMind ⚔️ Integration | Leadership | Coach | Hypnotherapist | Trainer | Speaker
Give them the training. Give them healthy, supportive, hands-on, real-life training. That shows them how to tune into their EI, to see what worked and what didn't in their lives to help them bring more awareness and compassion nd enable them to switch it on even more in how they show up at work and at home. Give them the practical, pragmatic tools and techniques that make inter-relating easier. To understand the language they use, to comprehend how their words cause impacts. And help them find new ways of interacting and supporting. In order to enable mature minds, we need to be surrounded by matured minds. Bring in specialists, share wisdom and help build the mindset that enables connection and creates safety.
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Samriti Malhotra
Global HRD Head at Denave
Emotional Intelligence is a virtue that empowers one to understand & harness the emotions and adapt to diverse environments, people/ behaviors to drive constructive outcomes. It is important that leaders not only "Walk the Talk" but also reward instances that generate positivity. It is worthwhile to note that high EQ should neither get perceived as "Weak" / "People Pleaser" nor challenge the "Individuality" or disrupt the balance between Innovative Mindset and Process Adherence. There is a thin line between empathy and reluctance to ruffle people's feathers / manipulate others. Leaders should be mindful to differentiate these aspects, coach people to be authentic to maximize the impact and influence.
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Scott Jancy
CEO @ Networked Leaders | Empowering Next-Generation Leadership
Before you start working to develop your employees’ Emotional Intelligence, make sure you know where you are as a leader with your Emotional Intelligence. This will give you a firm foundation to work from as you begin to work with them.
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Sandra Munyoro
TEDx Speaker Coach | Career & Business Transformation Coach | Job Search Strategist | Corporate Trainer
EI is only relevant once employees understand they have impact and power. It is therefore important that leadership creates a culture of shared accountability for psychological safety within the team. It is not the manager's role to ensure the wellbeing of each team member. Instead empower employees to take ownership for the safety of the people around them. Remind them, they have power, they have influence and then help them and allow them to use this power responsibly.