I could feel her energy as soon as I entered the room. And it wasn't good. The meeting followed the agenda and was pleasant on the surface. Still, her energy was off. We were just about to wrap when I brought it up. “I could be off base but I’m sensing frustration. Does that track?” “Yes” she said definitively. And out it came. Underneath the "everything is fine facade," there were circumstances causing frustration. We addressed it together and moved forward. It takes courage to acknowledge emotions, feelings and even more courage to work through them together. As leaders, we can be so busy it’s tempting to plow forward. Growing in emotional intelligence is important work to lead successful teams and deliver results. Here’s my strategy: Acknowledge the uncomfortable. Check in to see if it tracks. Ask open ended questions. Listen. Empathize. Listen more. Move forward together. According to Forbes, the research indicates that emotional intelligence is the number one leadership skill for 2024, noting "If there's one thing that all of the most effective leaders and high-performing professionals have in common, and that anyone moving into 2024 needs to prioritize on their professional development radar, it's possessing high levels of EQ (emotional intelligence)." I'd argue it's the top leadership skill, always. Just think about the cost when leaders struggle with EQ. Employee retention tanks, goals are unmet and low morale derails results. Now imagine if all your senior leaders had strategies for understanding the needs of others and creating an environment of empathy where everyone thrives. Productivity and profit are the byproducts of high performing leaders. Take care of your people and they will take care of the rest. #leadershipdevelopment #executivecoaching #emotionalintelligence
Love this! So true and well said!
So glad you had the courage to say something and I love the way you asked the the question! -Using that line in the future.
Courage and curiosity backed with a plan - powerful!
Thanks for sharing.
A skill everyone can benefit from!
Founder, CEO @ Hayley Denker Marketing | Marketing Communications, Social Networking | Former Disney Character
9moLOVE this!