How to Lead Using EQ
Tapping into your EQ skills will help you be a stronger leader. When I took the EQ-i 2.0 on emotional intelligence, I was thrilled to see that my reality testing — my ability to see things as they really are—score was high. I pride myself on basing my actions on facts rather than making stuff up. But, and there’s a but here, there may be times when I tap too much into that skill and it gets in the way of how I lead my team.
This is particularly true when emotions are involved or when my self regard is waning. In EQ-i 2.0 speak, we call this an imbalance: I may be trying to overcome feelings of low confidence in my abilities by tapping into my need to rely on what I can prove or by being too rigid. Guilty! Let me show you how.
As a strong reality tester, when my confidence is low or the consequences of getting it wrong are high, I may focus on processes and checklists. I’ll create a 10-step process when a 2-step process would suffice. I might insist others follow that process with few exceptions. I may overly complicate that way we do things to minimize the chances that something will go wrong. But how is this impacting my team? It likely frustrates them!
What’s the solution? The EQ-i 2.0 helped me develop strategies to leverage my strengths and figure out which lesser strengths were worth developing. Bonus: the assessment held a mirror up to show me the impact of tapping too much into a strength, why I do it, and what I can do about it when that happens. (Note: I asked my team to call me out when I start to overly complicate things unnecessarily. Our trust in each other is strong and they openly call me out!)
On the value of knowing one’s EQ, my clients agree. One recently shared:
“Of all the assessments I have taken, the EQ-i 2.0 is the one that resonated with me most right now! [The report and debrief with Kathy Shanley] leads me to think that there can be change and I can improve. . . to be where I want to be.”
Want to know more? The EQ-i 2.0 provides a detailed assessment of areas of strength and potential areas for development. It is one of the world’s most widely used emotional intelligence tests, with more than 25 years of research and experience behind it. Emotional intelligence skills are critical for building relationships and teams, resolving conflict, solving problems, leading effectively, and building resilience.