In the fast-paced post-COVID market that has erupted, it’s important to develop and focus on emotional intelligence that will set you apart from your competitors and help you stand out as a leader. Here is how you can work on developing your emotional intelligence:
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand emotions from both yourself and others, process how these emotions drive behavior and use this knowledge to motivate others. Emotional intelligence is not a skill that’s taught in school, so if you can develop and learn to hone your emotional intelligence, it will set you apart from your competitors and give you an edge in the current market.
This is also a trait commonly seen in leaders and helps you forge more meaningful connections.
Leadership
Emotional intelligence skills set leaders apart from the rest of the group. Leaders with high emotional intelligence understand what motivates their team and therefore are able to lead their team to produce better and more efficient work.
As a leader, you will have to make difficult decisions, and this skill helps you to resolve conflict easier, allowing you to adapt quickly to changes in circumstances. Emotionally-intelligent leaders maintain a positive team climate which makes people WANT to follow and work with them.
Leaders without this skill aren’t able to collaborate and communicate with others as efficiently, and they don’t understand others on that deeper level. As a result, they aren’t able to lead their teams as effectively. If you want to add more value at work, hone this skill.
Connecting Beyond the Screen
In a world where everything is virtual, it’s important to be able to connect with others in a meaningful way, beyond the screen. A person with a high emotional intelligence is better equipped to build meaningful relationships because of their elevated capacity to understand and acknowledge the needs and emotions of who they engage with.
Practice Makes Perfect!
So how do you learn and practice emotional intelligence?
First, you need to be able to listen to others in order to empathize with them. This is called active listening, meaning that you listen without interrupting. While someone is speaking, stay focused, be attentive, ask questions and request clarification when you need it. Don’t start planning what you are going to say afterwards, and do not judge or jump to conclusions.
Next, work on being self-aware. In order to become more self aware, try to look at yourself objectively. Practice self-reflection, listen to yourself and identify your strengths and weaknesses. You must understand your own emotions before you can understand the emotions of others. When someone criticizes you, try not to be offended, and instead, work on making those changes. It is important to recognize the impact you have on other people.
Finally, focus on your social settings and notice how others are reacting around you. Then, work on managing relationships with others as well as helping to manage the relationships between other people based on your observations. This will allow others to feel more comfortable around you and as a result, you will foster a safe environment where people feel more inclined to share their ideas and critiques. This also makes room for natural team building and bonding to take place.
Working on these three skills will help you learn to hone your emotional intelligence.
Bringing Everything Together
Understanding the current market is key to being competitive and successful. The current market is reliant on soft skills. In a time when everything has turned digital, understanding how to connect with others is important in order to create meaningful relationships.
Now that all interactions can be done online, people can be awkward because they lack real-world experience. Honing your emotional intelligence, actively listening to others and thinking critically are important skills that will set you apart and give you a competitive edge in the market. Utilize the 1893 Brand Studio to help!
Article written by Georgia Muller with photo provided by Nikki Reddy
