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Lead with your Heart

  • by Janice Jokkel
  • 4 Years ago
  • Comments Off
Lead with your Heart

Empathetic leadership is the number one trait in a leader today.  Emotional, social, and relational intelligence can and do matter more than overall intelligence quotient in both achievement and overall success.  Unlike IQ, which does not change over a lifetime, our Emotional Intelligence (EI) can evolve and increase with our desire to change, learn and grow. Emotional intelligence is an interdisciplinary field that brings together self-management, social recognition, social management and self-recognition.

One of our key assessments we use to assist companies vet the right person for the role and use when coaching leadership development is The Emotional Intelligence (EIQ-2) DISC personality test which helps understand the way you apply your emotional intelligence in terms of style, preferences, and behavior. It will bring clarity in determining how appropriately and effectively you apply your knowledge and feelings in each situation. It is this understanding that forms the basis on which you can adjust in order to be more effective in the future both personally as well as professionally.

It is a popular misconception that emotional intelligence is largely irrelevant in business and does not equate with professional performance. However, a recent study of emotional intelligence found that it is the single strongest predictor of workplace performance, accounting for a full 58% of success in all types of jobs. Furthermore, similar studies have found that 90% of top performers are also high in emotional intelligence. On the flip side, just 20% of bottom performers are high in emotional intelligence. You can be a top performer without emotional intelligence, but the chances are slim.

Leading with your heart starts with appreciation of your team. As an avid reader, I highly recommend the book written by Dr. Gary Chapman, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace (Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service and Physical Appropriate Touch). Leaders who show appreciation to their team reduce turnover and increase loyalty.  We have recently partnered with Deborah Wasylko, President of Baskets Galore who created simple, affordable and powerful programs to support both small business owners and large national companies with employee-touch strategies that get results. When we help our client build out a strong on-boarding and training program, we recommend a welcome basket that Debbie’s team creates and delivers on their first day of work.  People love unexpected surprises and now more than ever, it is important to recognize employees that have done the impossible and turned on a dime for their company during this pandemic. A touch-gift program does not have to be expensive…just thoughtful.

So, I ask you, are you a leader with a high IQ or a high EI?  Right now, we are helping those who want to take this time for self-improvement and understanding how to become a better communicator and leader within their organization. Sometimes we need to take a step back and self-assess to see if we are the toxicity that is being lethal to our own team.  How have you led through this pandemic?  Do not let emotional or verbal shrapnel wound your team.  Start leading with love and empathy now and see the positive results within your team.

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