Leading Confidently and Resiliently Through Emotional Intelligence

Copyright © 2015 by Ty Howard.   All rights reserved.

Leadership styles have changed over the years but human nature has not. People in leadership positions in the industrial age were stern and forceful. Many had an "It's my way or the highway" approach to dealing with their employees.

Leaders over the ages have evolved by learning and mastering people skills. Today, the best leaders lead from the front, and set an example for others to follow. They study not only their profession but the people in their environment as well.

One of the ways leaders can lead with more confidence and resilience is by using emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence deals with how well we manage ourselves and relate to others, regardless of the situation or circumstances.

Here are four practical ways to lead confidently and resiliently through emotional intelligence:

1. Be Self-Aware
It is always good to do a self-evaluation to learn and know where you are in your thinking. Being self-aware involves being conscious of ourselves and the people and events around us. One way to increase your awareness is through mediation. Take the time to be still as a leader, so you can experience the oneness of yourself and the peaceful environment around you. You will begin to make better decisions when you are self-aware. You become more focused and are able to eliminate distractions. You also begin to be more aware of the consequences of your choices. People will become more attracted to and in tune with you because you've become a person who is self-aware.

2. Practice Self-Management
Self-Management involves mastering your emotions. Sometimes we can celebrate successes too long that we fail to move on to the next task in timely manner. Other times people may let emotions like anger or resentment lead them instead of the other way around. Managing emotions is the hallmark of an effective leader.

3. Be Empathic
A great leader knows the pulse of his or her followers. They are in tune with them and can often tell when they are feeling certain emotions. One way to increase your empathy is to become a great listener. Listen to and genuinely care what your employees and team members have to say. Once you can begin to share and understand their feelings, they begin to trust you more as a leader.

4. Foster a Spirit of Community
Encouraging group activities is a great way to build relationships skills. Routine events build camaraderie among team members. Some examples would be a company bowling league where team members participate and have fun. Other things could be starting a Toastmasters group to build communication and leadership skills or even a company retreat where the members spend time away from the usual work setting.

As leaders within your organization become more involved with learning about themselves and their team members, the positive level of emotional intelligence and resilience will rise throughout the organization. It is not a static process. In fact, employees on all levels who choose to learn, apply, develop, grow, and lead with this mindset can also greatly influence the confidence and integrity of the entire organization going forward.

About the Author: Ty Howard,
Mr. Untie the Knots®,
Freeing Maximal Business, Performance, and Human Potential Daily

Ty Howard is an internationally recognized authority on organizational and managerial practices that optimize employee performance and success. He is the creator and lead facilitator of the trademarked "Untie the Knots® Optimal Performance Process," and the author of Untie the Knots®: Improving Habits, Choices, People, Relationships, Performance and Results, as well as dozens of published articles on employee and organizational performance and development worldwide. For information on his programs and services, visit: http://www.tyhoward.com.

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