Knowledge, vision and experience are all traditionally associated with leadership. Of course these professional skills are essential for effective management. But what makes the world’s top leaders stand apart from the rest?
They all use the game-changing power of emotional intelligence to transform themselves – and the people around them – into high performers who succeed.
Emotional intelligence (EI) and emotional quotient (EQ) have become buzzwords in the business world – and rightly so. Statistics from Harvard, Stanford, and Carnegie Foundation show that 85–87% of success stems from emotional intelligence.The Harvard Business Review has hailed emotional intelligence as a ground-breaking, paradigm-shattering idea, that’s one of the most influential business concepts of the decade.
But what exactly is emotional intelligence? In their 1990 paper, Yale University academics Mayer and Salovey coined the term ‘emotional intelligence’ to describe the ability to monitor one's own and others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one's thinking and actions. Simply put, emotional intelligence is recognising and managing your own and other people’s emotions to build strong and valuable interpersonal relationships.
It’s perhaps no surprise then, that EI has made a serious impact in the areas of leadership and employee development in particular. Today, some of the world’s most successful company leaders are using an EI perspective to shape their organisation. From recruiting, promoting and developing their teams to shaping company culture and fulfilling their mission, values and goals – companies including Amazon, Tesla, and American Express are all known for using EI to drive organisational success.
In fact, research is showing time and time again that emotional intelligence is the key differentiator between mild success and outstanding leadership performance – regardless of intellectual intelligence. As the author Daniel Goleman in his 2004 Harvard Business Review article puts it:
The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They do matter, but… they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions. My research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without it, a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still won’t make a great leader.
In essence, Goleman recognises that today’s most effective leaders and senior managers are using emotional intelligence to transform their leadership approach. They understand that proactively recognising their moods and managing their emotional output has significant benefits for both themselves and the people they lead.
With EI becoming increasingly mainstream, we’re helping leaders like you to use the power of emotional intelligence to drive success. As Master Training partners of Multi-Health Systems Inc, we use their globally-renowned EQ-i 2.0 assessment and certification to help leaders, coaches and consultants like you to rethink their leadership approach, build a positive company culture, enhance performance, inspire their teams and pioneer change.
Aside from boosting wellbeing, confidence, communication skills and relationships, our EI training is also helping top performing leaders to enhance the workplace environment, align their team’s values, nurture relationships and inspire the teamwork, productivity and achievements needed to drive results, profit and growth.
Are you ready to join the ranks of coaches, thought leaders and innovators from all business sectors who are outperforming their peers? We’ve spent over two decades collaborating with over 25% of the Times Top 200 organisations worldwide. We’ve helped leaders and top-level managers like you transform their teams and organisations. To find out how our training can help advance your leadership, join us at EQ Connects conference.
Back to blog page