Sister, let’s eradicate a misleading assumption right out of the shoot today, shall we?
You do not have to be the sharpest tool in the shed to be the most successful.
In fact, people with an average IQ perform better in the workplace than the smarty pants individuals. And you know what else? Employers are noticing this.
Over the past few years, “emotional intelligence” has emerged as one of the latest buzzwords in the corporate world. It is now a high-priority quality employers look for when hiring their leadership teams.
So, what is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to detect and understand emotions in yourself and others.
People who have strong emotional intelligence are typically good at managing their emotions and helping others manage theirs.
Emotionally intelligent people are empathetic; they are good at putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. They have a knack for seeing challenges from a variety of different perspectives, thus making them strong problem solvers.
Now, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?
Although emotional intelligence is a highly sought-after quality in the traditional workplace, it can be such a helpful characteristic for entrepreneurs, too. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to be successful without it.
Emotional intelligence plays a significant role in the ability to separate emotions from business. You must be able to take action that is driven by a business mindset and not overpowered by emotions.
Here are 3 practical ways emotional intelligence can help entrepreneurs experience success:
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- Increased Self-awareness – As an entrepreneur, if you can recognize and understand your emotional state, it can be such a benefit to you. The ability to identify and express your emotions in a healthy way will help you keep your emotions in check. It will also help you maintain a clear perspective. This is especially important when making critical decisions for your business.
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- Control of Emotions – Being an entrepreneur is freakin’ scary… and freakin’ hard. Sometimes it feels like there are roadblocks after roadblocks as you deal with disgruntled customers, challenging clients, tough conversations, failed launches, etc. This past year is proof that some things are just out of our control. But if your emotional intelligence game is strong, you will acknowledge your emotional state in a difficult situation and respond appropriately (with no regrets).
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- Effective Communicator – If you can’t empathize with someone, it’s stinkin’ hard to have an effective conversation (just ask my husband). If you can’t identify emotions, communication is more challenging, less effective, and unproductive. Emotional entrepreneurs with high emotional intelligence can leverage their empathy, problem-solving and social skills to help them create strong relationships, solve difficult problems, and win people over.
“Interesting, Kacie. But how do you develop strong emotional intelligence?” you ask.
Well, there is no magic formula, but there are definite steps you can take to move in that direction.
- Read about emotional intelligence.
- Be a good listener and practice empathy.
- Work with a coach or mentor.
Sister, developing your emotional intelligence can be challenging. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
If you could use a little emotional intelligence inspiration and motivation to create momentum in your business, I would love for you to share that with me here. I want to help you succeed, sister.
XO,