4 Steps to Boost your Leadership EQ

Some say that the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a second worldwide crisis – poor leadership.  From controversy to compassion, every leader is in the limelight as they try to keep their economies afloat.  We have heard from presidents and governors and the Queen of England and with every message, the media launches begins rating the words, the presentation, and the impact on their population. 

The leaders who are rated as “bad” are, most likely, educated, experienced, and are surrounded intelligent people who have the answers they need.  The leaders who are rated as “good” have all of those, and something more.  They have compassion, empathy, and the ability to relate to the people they serve.  They rate high in Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

Now is the time for all of us as Project Leaders, PMO Directors and Managers of projects large and small to develop our EQ skills.  As you do, your relationships will be strong and supportive and you will be rated as one of the “good ones”. With high emotional intelligence (E. Q.) you to be able to inspire and motivate others to co-operate with you to get through this time of massive change and beyond.  

Here are four methods that will dramatically raise your E.Q. so you and your people and your teams will accomplish more together. 

1. Increase your self-awareness. Self-development is the foundation of excellence. Before you can lead and inspire others, you must first understand your own motivations and behavior.

• Develop your vision by learning to listen to your inner values and dreams. Trust yourself. Try not to compromise your values to achieve a goal or for other temporary gain.
• Embrace passion by learning to be motivated by your internal compass rather than external forces and situations.
• Keep your energy fully recharged, so you can give your best effort. You can stay energized by taking the time to learn what activities re-energize you and which ones drain your energy.
• Respect yourself. Know the limitations of your body, mind, and spirit and strive for balance between your responsibilities in all areas of your life.
• Become aware of your flaws and limitations. Seek ways to improve yourself and be open to change.

2. Strengthen your discipline and self-management. Learning to be responsible for your behavior, attitudes, and actions can raise your performance level as well as help you to build trust and authority with others.

• Seek the input of others. Ask how you can help them, or what you need to do differently to communicate more effectively and manage them better.
• Hold yourself accountable for your actions and performance.
• Don’t be afraid to delegate responsibilities and tasks. Be confident enough in yourself to surround yourself with talented, qualified people.

3. Develop your social awareness. Be aware of your own attitudes and the power you have to motivate others.

• Show genuine concern for others and learn how to actively listen. Doing so will create lasting bonds and a strong team that will work with you rather than against you.
• Give others a reason to support you and your vision. Let others know when they have done a good job and look for ways to openly recognize and reward excellence.
• Help others to buy into your vision by making them stakeholders in the attainment of your goals. Seek their advice when setting goals and making plans on how you’ll achieve them.
• Help others to increase their abilities and fully utilize their talents by providing opportunities for training, scholarship, and self-development.

4. Emphasize greater relationship management. Learn how to bring out the best in yourself and others. Utilize everyone’s best qualities and minimize their limitations with effective assignment of tasks and delegation of responsibilities.  For more about helping your team to lead with their strengths, download the free Strengths Assessment from the Fearless Project Management site.

Regardless of your education, your experience, or your personality type, you can achieve greater success by learning how to use your people skills to fully harness the talents and energy of others. These strategies will allow you to increase your E.Q and inspire others to become focused and do the work necessary to ensure your project will be successfully delivered.