Why Emotionally Intelligence is Still a Core Skill for Leaders in 2023

In the recent study, it is said that only about 36% of world population are emotionally Intelligent, only 42% of companies really took time to provide training related to emotional intelligence, meanwhile 95% of HR managers and 99% of employees strongly believe that emotional intelligence is still a must-have skill for every employee there is.

Emotional intelligence (EI) can be described as the capacity to be aware of and manage one’s own emotions, and also the emotions of others. There are 4 components of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, as well as relationship management.

A study followed 80 scientists for over 40 years found that social and emotional abilities are 4 times more important than IQ in determining success. TalentSmart research said that people with high EI will be able to make an average of $29,000 per year more than people with low EIs. Isn’t is awesome?

Even when a company such a Motorola manufacturing facility provided training in stress management and emotional intelligence, 93% of employees had an increase in productivity as a real result.

 Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Harvard Business Review has a survey spanning diverse industries and found that positive relationships significantly impacted job satisfaction. Even employees who worked trivial or tireless jobs would be satisfied with their jobs when they maintained strong positive relationships within the workplace.

Don’t forget that these days young talents are everywhere. This is also an important factors to consider. 87% of millennial today are also motivated and driven by the emotional intelligence of their leaders to help the company succeed.

Employees who believe that their leaders treat them with respect are 55% more engaged than not, 63% more satisfied with their work, and 58% are more focused on their jobs. Therefore, Emotional intelligence is still considered a core skill nowadays and is one of the top 10 vital skills for the future.

If you want to lead with emotional intelligence, it is important to practice it every day and even making it as a part of your daily habits. This means being aware of your own emotions and those of others and using this information to guide your thoughts and actions, especially in front of your team

Create and maintain emotionally intelligent teams

 Here are some tips to build and maintain EI components within your team:

1. Check on yourself: The first step in improving your EI is understanding your inner thoughts and feelings. You have to ask yourself bravely, why you feel that way, and what has caused the feelings. Enhancing your awareness towards your inner working will allow you to recognize more accurately on the feelings around you. You will also lead by example at the end of the day.
2. Create a safe working environment: Listen to what your team members say and allow them to vent their mind and feelings. Focus on listening to your employees with intention and do not get distracted. This will encourage your employees to open up to you and learn that you and the working environment are their safe zone.
3. Avoid assumption: Don’t be afraid to ask questions to clarify things. Good communication revolves around clarity, and most miscommunication lies in misunderstanding the main message. If you need clarification, or have questions regarding a vague topic, it is okay to stop and ask for clarity.
4. Develop their self-awareness and emotional intelligence skills: Encourage your team member to be aware of people’s emotion and to practice empathy. Let them know when they are not being considerate about people around them, so that you can keep them aware of the emotions of others.
5. Request feedback: Sometimes, the only way to know how employees feel about your leadership abilities is to ask them about how they feel about the team and you. Feedback can give you and the company insight about certain challenges and struggles you didn’t realize.

MDI as a training provider clearly sees that the request for EI training program has been gradually increasing from time to time. Companies all over Indonesia are also start to see how significant it is to have employees who are working happily and stress-free. The ability to make decision calmly and to work with others with honesty and empathy clearly help people in the company to produce great product and service in order to perform well in the market.

by

Mediana Nuarika – Fasilitator MDI Tack