The Best Leaders Have Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence contributes to a leader's ability to navigate interpersonal relationships and make informed decisions. What traits do the best leaders have?

1.    Self-Awareness – they are in tune with their own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. They better understand how their emotions can impact their behavior and decision-making.

2.    Empathy – armed with an ability to understand and share the feelings of others, leaders who empathize create stronger connections with their team, leading to increased trust and collaboration.

3.    Conflict resolution – when you better understand and interpret emotions behind the messages received from team members, you are more able to find constructive solutions that address the root causes of the conflict.

4.    Adaptability – emotional intelligent leaders more often manage stress and maintain composure, helping them adapt to changing situations and remain resilient in the face of challenges.

5.    Better Decision-Making – people who consider both rational thinking as well as emotional factors, can better assess the emotional impact decisions have on individuals and the team as a whole.

These traits help leaders build lasting relationships with team members, peers, and other stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills create relationships that contribute to loyalty, employee retention, and overall organizational success.

Did you download the Sympathy vs. Empathy Infographic?

‍