Understand the why behind our actions.

Have you ever heard of emotional intelligence or EQ or heard someone mention something about emotional construct? If your answer is no, I can relate. Until a year ago, I had never heard these terms before. I know for myself that it always seems easiest to stay in the same mindset and have as close to the same schedule every day. I find that when I do this, there is less to get upset or rattled about, and I just move through my day, hoping nothing ever upsets me or causes change. BUT when something different comes along that upsets my schedule, such as a flat tire or a trip to the urgent care clinic, and I find myself getting frustrated. Unfortunately, I sometimes forget to consider the reason behind the upset or change. Here is where emotional intelligence comes into play, also called emotional quotient or EQ.

Yes, it isn't always easy to change, and sometimes we need to stop what we shouldn't do and start what we should. Having the power to change is crucial because we all need to be the best version of ourselves. Handling crises and daily challenges are a normal part of life, and according to Rear Adm Thomas Jurkowsky, US Navy, retired, "[w]hen faced with a crisis, the public will judge an organization on how quickly and appropriately it handles the situation. The organization can look exceptionally good or exceedingly terrible. Sometimes, an organization can even turn a crisis into an opportunity by showing its preparedness" (2020, p.117). Besides following the basic rules of crisis communications, such as immediatly responding, giving bad news as soon as possible, conducting outreaches to those affected, having a fully developed and tested crisis plan in place, avoiding saying "no comment," engaging leadership through adherence to these guidelines, and creating a healthy culture or environment, welcoming the identification of problems and issues (Jurkowsky, 2020, p. 118), here is where a high EQ or emotional intelligence can also be valuable.

Understanding emotional intelligence is important in helping us become the best leader that we can be, and it can help us adapt to and accept change. Given that there is a plethora of information on emotional intelligence, you may not know where to start. A favorite book of mine is Emotionally intelligent leadership: A Guide for Students by Marcy Levy Shankman, Scott J. Allen, and Paige Haber-Curran. It is an excellent resource that can help you understand why you do what you do. Being driven by responsibility, integrity, and a desire to build relationships among those they serve are key to becoming a balanced leader. Offering key concepts and reflection questions, as well as other resources that will help leaders reflect on their behaviors and how these concepts and capacities are applicable in their lives, will become critical to understanding development and growth in terms of applying EIL (emotionally intelligent leadership) on a daily basis (Shankman et al., 2015).

We are all unique and special human beings who have nuances that point to our uniqueness, but having the ability to first understand ourselves and then understand others is key to forming a foundation for both what we do and for how we develop our leadership. When we are driven by responsibility, integrity, adapting, and making positive change in both our personal and work relationships, then we are better able to become balanced leaders who have high emotional intelligence that benefits the world around us.

Here is a no nonsense and no registration link to a fun EQ test based on the model from Daniel Goleman, pertain to emotional intelligence:

Free EQ Test

Because let's face it, when we can learn what our downfalls and weaknesses are, we can learn to overcome our weaknesses. It is then that we will see victory and have lasting success.

References:

  1. Jurkowsky, T. (2020). The secret sauce for organizational success: communications and leadership on the same page. Air University Press. https://catalog.libraries.wright.edu:443/record=b4441131~S7
  2. Shankman, M. L., Allen, S. J., & Haber-Curran, P. (2015). Emotionally intelligent leadership: A guide for students. Jossey-Bass.