5 Key Components of Emotional Intelligence for Effective Leadership

One of the most important features that leaders must have is "emotional intelligence". When we talk about emotional intelligence, we talk about a key element of effective leadership. Emotional intelligence is the ability to harmonize with yourself and your emotions, as well as being aware and knowledgeable of the situation, which serves as a powerful tool for team leading. If an individual has knowledge of the nature of his emotions and those of others, understands them, responds to them, and is aware of the extent to which his words and actions affect others, it means that he is emotionally intelligent.

A successful leader must possess several types of intelligence, the most important of which is emotional intelligence, which constitutes a significant part of the psychological makeup of human beings. It is also associated with mental and emotional abilities. The most important characteristic that a leader may have is the ability to influence others, but they cannot be influential if their subordinates despise them. No matter how much a leader is mentally capable and valued, he must have emotional capabilities as well.

Some studies have pointed out the importance of emotional intelligence and its effectiveness in managing crises, reducing psychological stress, and reducing tension in the workplace.

Emotional intelligence related to leadership skills consists of five qualities, namely: self-awareness, self-management, empathy, relationship management and effective communication.

Many people often try to conceal their feelings. However, we cannot get rid of these emotions and memories, no matter how hard we try to conceal them and put up a fake smile.

You can learn how to be emotionally independent, and how to acquire the traits that enable you to possess emotional intelligence by knowing and accepting your inner emotions and being aware of how they influence your decisions and actions.

A leader who lacks emotional intelligence cannot effectively know the needs, desires, and expectations of their subordinates. They also lose the trust of their employees and put their work relationships on the line. So, a good leader should be familiar with psychology, have a grasp of self-awareness, and understand how verbal and non-verbal communication affects the team.

If you want to grasp the emotional intelligence competencies that are essential for effective leadership, you have to assess yourself on the following components:

1- Self-awareness:

It is the ability to recognize ourselves, our feelings, strengths, weaknesses, and values and understand their impact on ourselves and others. Without thinking, understanding ourselves or determining who we really are, and what drives us to make certain decisions is nearly impossible. We also cannot determine what works and doesn’t work for us. In order to reach your fullest potential, you must be confident in who you are, and be deeply aware of your inner self.

The only people capable of continually improving themselves are those who have a solid understanding of who they are and what they want to work on.

2- Self-regulation:

It is also called self-control, and it includes controlling or redirecting our destructive emotions and adjusting ourselves to an ever-changing business environment to boost team morale.

Leaders must not lose their calm, as feeling calm is as contagious as panic. The personality of the leader also influences those around them, so when you play a leadership role, you need to remain calm and positive, so that you can think and communicate openly with your team.

3- Empathy:

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s position and try to understand how they feel and react to a particular situation. Empathy is the spark that can ignite compassion, and it is like a glue that binds us together in times of unrest.

The more we relate to others, the better we become at understanding what motivates or annoys them.

4- Relationship Management:

Relationship management needs strong and effective focus. Our relationships with others take a toll because of all the distractions that surround us. Each of us is battling with different obligations, whether they are related to our families or work. However, building and maintaining healthy and productive relationships is key to an individual's ability to acquire higher emotional intelligence.

Leading your team to achieve the desired results requires communicating effectively and managing relationships appropriately.

5- Effective Communication:

In military teams, you need to do three things perfectly to be an effective soldier and team member: move, shoot, and communicate.

Communication is of paramount importance. It is a fundamental principle of leadership, and it greatly affects your emotional intelligence, and your relationships with those around you. Studies show that 7% of effective communication depends on what we say, and 93% depends on our tone and body language.

Misunderstandings and lack of communication can quickly lead to conflict among most people. Failure to communicate effectively in the workplace often leads to disappointment, pain, and confusion among employees. Effective communication can remove obstacles and encourage relationships in the workplace.

Employees’ sense of value and accomplishment stems from understanding their role within the company, and how to benefit from the overall direction and vision since good communication leads to harmony and a shared sense of purpose.

Emotional intelligence is an enormously powerful and important tool for achieving goals, improving stressful work relationships, creating a healthy and productive work environment, and creating an organizational culture. Therefore, the leader must have the emotional intelligence that prepares them to understand their feelings and those of others, so that the work continues with a positive spirit, according to Goleman’s rule that says: “Good Mood = Good Work”.

The leaders’ emotional state has the greatest impact on their workers’ performance. If they are positive, optimistic, open, and cooperative, they transmit these attributes to their workers, but if they are sulky, irritable and do not trust anyone, you will find several conflicts in the workplace. Leaders are the basis for everything, as their qualities and intelligence are reflected on their team members, so that the organization becomes a harmonious and cohesive environment. Everybody works in harmony to achieve the desired goals, away from the atmosphere of anxiety and tension.