The term Emotional Intelligence gets thrown around a lot lately, but what is it really? Emotional Intelligence is taking a risk. Don’t let fear keep you from it. It’s all about vulnerability with vision. From awareness all the way through action, there are three points to make sure you hit when sharpening your emotional intelligence chops:
1. Be Aware + Listen
The first step is being aware of emotion and actively listening to those around you. It’s not only about facts; It’s about facts and feelings—both your own and others. Pay attention, be aware, and truly listen.
2. Communicate
Being aware is huge, but take it a step further and communicate that emotion, authentically. Expressing and managing emotion for yourself and with others, helps you strengthen leadership skills and relationships. As a leader you choose how you react and how you translate that reaction. Transparent communication goes a long way in building relationships with a team.
3. Take Action
And finally, awareness, and communication should lead to action. Lead by showing, not telling, and set an example. You can be aware and know you need to show emotion all day long, but if you don’t take that and launch it out into the world it becomes that Star Wars collectible figure that looks great on the shelf, and may or may not be worth something in the future, but never sees the light of day. As a leader, if you show you have thought through action, it inspires people to follow.
