7 BECOME AN EXCEPTIONAL LEADER: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN LEADERSHIP

(EXTRACTION FROM LEADERSHIP SKILLS at http://www.mindtools.com)

Learning How to Be More Aware

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage both your own emotions, and those of the people around you.

FIVE MAIN ELEMENTS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Self-awareness	Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses.  And it means having humility. Tips: ·        Keep a journal ·        Slow down
Self-regulation	Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values.  Self-regulation is all about staying in control. Tips: ·        Know your values ·        Hold yourself accountable ·        Practice being calm
Motivation	Self-motivated leaders consistently work toward their goals.  And they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work. Tips: ·        Re-examine why you're doing this ·        Know where you stand ·        Be hopeful and find something good
Empathy	Having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization.  Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation.  They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it. Tips: ·        Put yourself in someone else's position ·        Pay attention to body language ·        Respond to feelings
Social skills	Leaders who do well in this element of emotional intelligence are great communicators.  They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're experts at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project. Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically.  They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they're also not willing to make everyone else do the work. They set the example with their own behavior. Tips: ·        Learn conflict resolution ·        Improve your communication skills ·        Learn how to praise others