Measuring emotional intelligence to identify effective leaders and the leadership skills needing development has been popular for more than two decades. What has changed is a better understanding of how emotional intelligence is crucial to effective leadership in various conditions and situations. Effective leadership means transformational leadership rather than being purely transactional. How leaders respond to employees influences productivity, inclusion, belonging, and organizational culture. Emotional intelligence supports transformational leadership and leaders’ ability to engage with employees positively, promoting change when necessary. Developing emotional intelligence in current and rising leaders means developing self-awareness about personal perspectives and how relationships are managed in the workplace.
Feelings are Important in the Workplace
For organizational leaders, the ability to coach, collaborate, give and receive feedback, assist employees through conflict and crises, and promote good working relationships are just as important as technical skills. Influential leaders inspire and encourage employees to pursue personal goals through work efforts.
As a result, a leader can be technically savvy, but if their people skills are weak, that leader is likely to operate in a purely transactional manner. This can lead to low employee engagement, which brings low productivity and higher turnover. Feelings matter in the workplace and are at the core of workplace relationships. Employees may say, “I don’t feel like my manager understands our team issues,” or “I don’t feel a sense of belonging in the workplace.”
Login Here