Liz is a hard working person. She leads a small team. She comes to work on time-most of the time she is early with a smile on her face. She gets along well with her co-workers, often going the extra mile to understand them and their needs. Her superiors boast about how fortunate they are to have such a great employee. 
Liz has a high level of emotional intelligence, and she knows it, but something is missing. She feels stuck in her current position. Unfortunately for Liz, who has likability, sensitivity, and great work ethics; it is not enough to be a strong and more effective leader. She would struggle greatly if given a higher position in leadership. Why? Because she lacks the courage needed to deliver feedback to employees, to express her differing opinions and to think outside of the box. However, the great thing is, Liz does not have to be permanently disqualified. She can bridge those uneven emotional skill gaps by committing to develop and work on her areas of weakness.
For example, when Liz develops an inspirational leadership component, she could be successful in driving changes. When she develops strength in conflict management, she will be great at giving people constructive feedback, even when it is unpleasant.
To excel, leaders need to develop a balance of strengths across the suite of EQ competencies. When they do, excellent business results follow.
Oftentimes, we look at intellect and emotional intelligence as the same, but they are very different. Intellect can be measured by standardized IQ tests, where there’s no actual measure of what is called the “EQ” or Emotional Quotient. EQ is the way you measure Emotional Intelligence and is essentially the way you perceive, understand, express, and manage emotions.
By focusing exclusively on “sociability, sensitivity, and likability,” we too often miss “critical elements of emotional intelligence that could make a stronger, more effective leader.”
There are different types of assessments for measuring EQ The comprehensive 360-degree assessment is one of them, which collects ratings from the individual as well as those closest to them.
Those assessments are very important ……
When you think of the “perfect leader” you might picture someone who never lets their temper get out of control, no matter what problems they are facing. Alternatively, you might think of someone who has the complete trust of their staff, listens to their team, is easy to talk to, and always makes careful, balanced, and informed decisions.
There are a dozen components to true and complete EQ. If you take the time to review these components in your mind, you will have an idea on which you might need to work on.
Emotional self-awareness
Emotional self-control
Adaptability
Achievement orientation
Positive outlook
Empathy
Organizational awareness
Influence
Coach and mentor
Conflict management
Teamwork
Inspirational leadership
Most things are better in moderation, and it is also worth pointing out that emotional intelligence is a cognitive ability that can improve across your lifespan. So, don’t worry, recognize the traits you need to work on it. There is plenty of time to improve and just keep moving forward.
Coaching is the most effective method for improving and developing great leaders in your business. So give Jager Consulting a call at (440) 385-6737 and let’s work on it.