Emotionally Intelligent Leader Makes the Team Harmonious And Cohesive

The essential characteristic of a leader is the ability to influence others. So, there will be no value to intelligence and the ability to plan if the leader cannot influence his team. Accordingly, leaders’ right ideas and accurate strategies are of value only if they can motivate the feelings of others, control them, and direct them toward the implementation of the required tasks. Hence the importance of an emotionally intelligent leader who transforms the team into a harmonious and cohesive cell. And working in harmony and collectively to achieve the desired goals, away from the atmosphere of anxiety and tension.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is one of the modern and fundamental concepts that have occupied the interest of many business organizations. That seek to train their leaders to acquire skills and capabilities. That, in turn, contribute to the success of organizations, increase their productivity, and distinguish their performance.

Emotional intelligence is a set of personal qualities and social and emotional skills. That enable an individual to be aware of his feelings and emotions. It also controls it and turns the negative into positive by organizing it. And directing it towards achieving the desired goals. It also qualifies him to perceive, understand, deal with, and manage the feelings and emotions of others. As the individual becomes more able to rationalize his psychological and social life and succeed in professional interactions and various life situations.

The importance of emotional intelligence in leadership

Several studies have confirmed the importance of an emotionally intelligent leader. And its effectiveness in managing crises and psychological stress and improving the work climate. Mainly because the emotionally intelligent leader controls his emotions and understands his team to achieve goals. Let’s take a deeper look at the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership. And why it is an essential trait of a successful leader:

1. Contributes to building trusting relationships with team members, as they are the basis for making successful teams and creating an environment of respect and understanding.
2. It enables leaders to understand their emotions better to be more effective in managing difficult conversations, resolving conflicts, and keeping their minds focused and calm.
3. It allows leaders to understand and communicate effectively with others, see things from others’ perspectives and respond accordingly.
4. It makes leaders more effective in motivating and inspiring their team members by building rapport and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
5. Enhances leaders’ decision-making skills, as they consider not only the intuitive logic behind each choice but also the potential emotional impact of each decision on their team members.

Develop emotional intelligence skills for leaders

In today’s business world, it has become imperative for leaders to have emotional intelligence skills. Some tips and guidelines to develop these skills for you as a successful future leader:

• Evaluate your performance and discover your strengths and weaknesses by researching the opinions of your team, superiors, and colleagues using 360-degree feedback.
• When you feel anger or other strong emotions, look at the situation objectively and then choose how you react to it.
• Make sure to frame things meaningfully by choosing your words carefully because this is an expression of yourself and part of managing your emotions.
• Check your Code of Ethics and know your values, as this will help you make the right decision when facing an ethical decision.
• Pledge to admit your mistakes and face the consequences when something goes wrong, and don’t blame others but hold yourself accountable, which will earn everyone’s respect.
• Practice calmness and mental focus in difficult situations, and be aware of how you act and your reactions to make sure they are fair.
• State why you want your current job and career, and ensure your goal statements are fresh and up to date.
• Evaluate your leadership motivation, as it explains your vision of how motivated you are in your leadership role and points you to resources that can help you.
• Be optimistic when facing a challenge or failure, and try to find some good things about the situation. Knowing that there is almost always something positive.
• Look at different situations from the perspective of others by putting yourself in their position.
• Learning to read body language is a real asset in your leadership role; it helps you identify how others are feeling and allows you to respond appropriately.
• Learn conflict management and conflict resolution skills among your team members, as they are vital to success.
• Practice listening to communicate effectively and build a special relationship with your team and others.
• Promote a culture of praise and appreciation for your team because it inspires them and improves their loyalty.

The role of the leader in improving the emotional intelligence of employees

As an emotionally intelligent leader, you must make your employees have this trait. Here are some ways to improve the emotional intelligence of your employees:

1. Create an environment where employees feel comfortable openly communicating their thoughts and feelings, which will help them better understand their emotions and those of others.
2. Help your employees develop empathy by encouraging them to see things from the perspective of others.
3. Teach your employees techniques for managing their emotions and managing their emotions in personal and professional situations.
4. Encourage your employees to think positively, even in difficult situations, by providing regular feedback and highlighting their successes rather than failures.
5. Be a role model for the emotionally intelligent behavior you want to see in your employees.

While many leaders have high-level technical and communication skills, they lack emotional intelligence. When leaders define the style of the organization, emotional intelligence becomes an essential part of the skill set. An organization led by a leader without emotional intelligence skills cannot meet the complex challenges of the future.