How EI is the secret sauce of leadership
Mary-Anne Murphy
Emotional Intelligence is the undisputed secret sauce of the greatest leaders. Just like adding chocolate sauce to an ice cream transforms plain vanilla ice cream into something extra special.
EI (Emotional Intelligence) is exactly that. It is the set of skills that can catapult managers into the stratosphere, turning them into change-makers and leaders.
So what exactly is this secret sauce?
EI is a framework of skills, a toolkit, that helps leaders realise their ultimate potential through a lens of deep empathy, self-awareness and empowerment that far outweighs any traditional leadership knowledge base.
“(IQ & TQ) x EQ = Leadership Potential. Leadership potential is the product of cognitive intelligence (IQ) and technical skills (TQ) and is maximised by high emotional intelligence or EQ.” Dr Martyn Newman, RocheMartin
Social-emotional agility
If we look at the tennis player, Roger Federer, he is a prime example of how someone uses their emotional agility to their advantage. His vast technical knowledge and level of skill in the field of tennis is undeniable.
Armed with natural talent, combined with a good education, intellect and the very best tennis coaching, he is very easily in a class of his own.
But possessing an impressive level of TQ (technical skill) is by and large not the only thing that sets him apart. It’s his emotional agility and high level of EI that have directly contributed to him being one of the best tennis players in history.
His heightened level of self-awareness and adaptability along with his ability to control his emotions through an exceptional level of self-management, means he can get the best out of himself under pressure, using his social-emotional agility to create the outcome he wants.
IQ vs EQ
59% of hiring managers said they wouldn’t employ someone with a high IQ and low EI.
71% of employers say they value Emotional Intelligence over IQ. CareerBuilder Survey, 2011.
Think about the most recent job interview you have been in and what kind of questions they asked you. You might have had more questions about problem-solving and how you approached difficult situations or challenging personalities than questions about the actual technical skills required to do the job.
While technical knowledge, experience and expertise are an important part of specific roles, being able to work effectively as part of a diverse team is becoming critically important.
Companies know that they can teach people the skills they need to do a job, so they favour hiring someone with a higher EQ over someone with a higher IQ.
Building Confidence in Leadership with EI
Confidence is plain and simply a learned skill.
Confident people trust their intuition, rely on their internal framework, and lean into it as a resource. It helps them make decisions, take initiative, assert themselves with clarity and communicate boundaries.
They’re in tune with a high level of self-awareness, can understand and regulate their emotions but above all else, have a strong bond of trust within themselves.
“You can’t lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.” John Peers, CEO & Chairman at Lightfleet
It will be impossible to lead a team to the next level if leaders are riddled with self-doubt, can’t have difficult conversations without regulating their emotions or cannot create and communicate boundaries with difficult people.
EI skills are a sought-after and valuable asset for anyone in a leadership role and it’s never too late to develop them.
Work with Us
Momentum Learning has been supporting Leaders, Teams, Teachers, Rangatahi and their Whānau to develop their social and emotional intelligence since 2020. Talk to us about exploring this for your organisation.
Let’s work together.