Joshua Mario
Emotional intelligence is a critical element in leadership. For leaders, emotional intelligence helps in the process of handling interpersonal relationships wisely and empathetically.
Leadership effectiveness requires the capacity to connect emotionally with workers and lead with emotional intelligence.
This is due, in part, to the fact that how a leader makes an employee feel may influence their involvement in institutional processes and the resultant productivity of the institution.
Emotions can weave through every work situation an employee experiences, including: interactions with colleagues; conflict and relationships; change and uncertainty; achievement and failure, as well as effort and burnout.
In view of the foregoing, it is vital to emphasise that managers with the greatest influence on employee satisfaction have high levels of emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness.
Because they are great communicators, empathic and make their subordinates feel valued, such managers frequently bring out the best in employees.
With numerous cases of leaders causing untold grief and suffering among their subordinates, as well as inducing a lack of productivity due to their counterproductive leadership tendencies being reported in Namibia, this article highlights the importance of emotional intelligence among institutional leaders.
There are many disgruntled employees in the country, largely due to a lack of emotional intelligence amongst institutional leaders. If the employees’ dissatisfaction, owing to institutional leaders’ lack of emotional intelligence, is not addressed, productivity will be affected, which will further negatively impact the country’s economy.
Importance of emotional intelligence for leaders
Emotional intelligence or emotional quotient encompasses the skill set required to comprehend, apply and regulate one’s own emotions constructively. This quality can lead to reduced anxiety, effective communication, empathetic connections with others and the ability to resolve conflicts.
Emotional intelligence is a vital attribute in cultivating strong bonds, accomplishing academic and occupational achievements, as well as realising individual and career objectives.
Furthermore, emotional intelligence can enable you to connect with your innermost emotions, act on your goals and make informed decisions regarding what is most significant to you.
Your intelligence quotient gets you hired, but your emotional quotient, also known as emotional intelligence, gets you hired, promoted, fired or demoted.
The Namibian corporate space comprises a diverse group of ethnic representations at local and international levels. As a leader, ignoring such would cost you and the organisation.
Besides qualifications, emotional intelligence determines your retention. Leaders should remember they spend 40 hours or more a week with their coworkers; therefore, emotional intelligence is important.
Key attributes of emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence comprises five attributes, namely self-awareness: one ought to know and understand oneself in terms of their strengths and weaknesses.
This is crucial because your actions may affect the team’s performance when you bring out the best in you first, and then you will influence the best in others.
Self-regulation: when you know yourself, you will apply appropriate self-control measures to assist you in managing yourself and your surroundings. The more you are in tune with your emotions, the better.
It is important to pause, breathe, collect yourself and do whatever it takes to manage your emotions.
Empathy: this attribute was highly amplified during the covid-19 pandemic.
It means a lot to the subordinates when a leader strives to understand them. Empathy is simply being in the shoes of those affected.
Motivation is an attribute of self-drive to achieve personal goals.
There has to be something that motivates you to keep holding on and keep moving.
Finally, social skills refer to the capacity to relate to others and belong. Humans are social creatures, and when they feel liked and accepted, they feel relieved and valuable.
The effects of emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is so important that it affects your performance at work, academically, your physical and mental health and your relationships. Therefore, embracing and investing in emotional intelligence skills is worth it for the employer to create good working environments, thus reducing poor performance, poor mental health and high turnover.
Once leaders understand and embrace the concept of emotional intelligence at work, it helps them understand the people they are leading; they become more friendly and empathetic, and they create an enabling environment where their colleagues can be comfortable working and executing their duties without fear of victimisation and intimidation.
Performance will rise exponentially due to high levels of motivation, reduced conflicts, effective flow of communication, as well as and improved work relationships.
In addition, there will be low turnover and a high retention rate. Namibia needs leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence in the private and public sectors to drive performance and improve customer care.
Leaders who are willing to embrace and apply emotional intelligence at the workplace tend to benefit more, including good organisational reputation.
* Joshua Mario (PMP) is a motivational speaker and lecturer of Public Management at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.