5 Quick Emotional Intelligence Improvements for Leaders

Leaders can use five quick improvements to develop their emotional intelligence. Everyone feels a huge spectrum of emotions on a daily basis and a well developed emotional intelligence can help to smooth out the highs and lows to keep an even keel. An ability of a leader to express themselves in all situations is the mark of a great leader. A leader must be able to lead through hectic high-paced environments as well as boost morale among their team when things get sluggish. They need to have the skill to effectively deliver difficult news and keep their emotions in check to keep from negatively affecting their team. Today we examine five ways to improve your emotional intelligence from Preston Ni at Psychology Today.

1. The ability to deal with one's own negative emotions

Perhaps no aspect of EQ is more important than our ability to effectively manage our own negative emotions, so they don't overwhelm us and affect our judgment. In order to change the way we feel about a situation, we must first change the way we think about it. Neuro-psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen developed an easy to practice exercise called “ANT Therapy– Killing our Automatic Negative Thoughts,” which helps us examine thenature of our negative experiences, and relate to it in such a way as to reduce our negative emotions. Click on this video link (www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SGDnL1j7lw) to see Dr. Amen explain ANT Therapy (from 01:04 to the end of the clip, and at the very beginning of the next sequence).

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The emotional intelligence of a leader resonates outward and affects all in their vicinity. Teams thrive off of a leader who possesses and skillfully wields charisma and passion to drive purposeful work forward. This leader doles out praise effectively which allows them to deliver criticism that their team accepts with humility. Conversely, a leader who displays random emotional outbursts while threatening and cajoling employees will only marginalize their team. This type of leader will inspire no great actions and ultimately will push people away with their erratic behavior. An effective leader is one who has a firm grasp of their own emotional intelligence. If you need a lesson, or even just a quick refresher, check out the five quick improvements to further develop your emotional intelligence.