Emotional intelligence is gaining attention as a key essential leadership trait. And though I’d like to consider myself as having high emotional intelligence, I can think of many instances where the feelings of others were not top of mind.
“The whirlwind of change makes it more important than ever for leaders to be self-aware and composed, focused and high energy, empathic and motivating, collaborative and compelling—in short, resonant.” ~Primal Leadership
To resonate as a leader means to match the emotional energy with the current situation. Imagine a post 9/11 business owner who has no compassion for their employees and just expects them to show up for work on 9/12 with no discussion. They are not resonant. Instead, envision a client of mine who has a strict rule of no hugging in the office. He’s strictly business and doesn’t want to even give the appearance of impropriety. But during a meeting when we start talking about family backgrounds one of his team members begins to cry. She just recently lost her father, and he knows it. He stands up, walks over to her, and hugs her. That is resonant.
Out of Resonance
If you find yourself out of resonance and instead exhibiting the following behaviors, you need to up your game in the emotional intelligence arena.
- You never think about your feelings or the feelings of others.
- Asking others how they perceive you has never been a consideration.
- You’re not open to any kind of criticism.
- You never apologize.
- Saying thank you, or giving positive feedback is not in your nature.
If any of the above have described you, then you need some emotional intelligence coaching. Core Impact Coaching provides leadership coaching in the areas of emotional intelligence, communications, and strategic planning. Our EI package includes:
- tools to develop the self-awareness,
- coaching to identify new behaviors, and
- support and reinforcement for strong leadership.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
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