By This is part 3 of a 3-part series on emotional intelligence and why it plays an important role with sales leaders today. It is authored by CX and emotional intelligence expert Dave Seaton.
In our last chapter in this series, we covered the four domains of emotional intelligence: self awareness, self management, social awareness and relationship management. Now, let’s look at how emotionally intelligent leaders use these tools to build a positive, engaging culture that keeps their team members from seeking greener pastures…
Why is EQ so Important in Leadership?
In Toxic Culture is Driving the Great Resignation, the authors analyzed the driving forces behind The Great Resignation. The study found that “corporate culture is more important than burnout or compensation in predicting which companies lost employees at a higher rate than their industries as a whole. A toxic corporate culture is the single best predictor of which companies suffered from high attrition in the first six months of the Great Resignation. The failure to appreciate high performers, through formal and informal recognition, is another element of culture that predicts attrition.”
While the authors admit you can’t change corporate culture overnight, you can begin the journey—the first step is using emotional intelligence to guide your leadership style.
Most people think about leadership backwards. Ask them about their leadership style, and they’ll say, “My style is to lead by example. I never ask my team to do something I’m not willing to do myself,” or “I hire smart people, point them in the right direction, and then get out of their way.” Both approaches can be effective, in the right situation. But these leaders talk about what they, themselves, are comfortable with—their own preferences for how they show up and interact with the people around them.
But an emotionally intelligent leader is outward-focused. Instead of doing what you’re comfortable with, tune in to the emotional state of your employees and adopt whatever style will engage them and bring out their best work. Change styles depending on the situation. When you use emotional intelligence to understand the culture—the collective emotional atmosphere we’re all breathing—you can cultivate that culture to inspire and motivate growth.
Is Jeff a rockstar who’s closing big deals, but seems oddly disengaged in team meetings? His emotional needs for respect or autonomy may be unfulfilled, a sign he could be a retention risk. Make sure he’s getting recognized for his achievements. Include him in strategy sessions or give him greater authority over a key initiative.
Is Brian struggling to close deals, despite tremendous effort? Coach and mentor him until he finds his footing. If he has the will to succeed, you can teach the skills.
Is Camille sending nasty emails again? Fire her on the spot. (Actually, I’m joking about that, but you do need to put a stop to finger-pointing and blame-casting because it will poison your culture). Emotional intelligence is the key to choosing the right leadership style for each situation.
We may be emotional creatures first, but our reasoning skills hold the key to understanding and harnessing those emotions. Leading with emotional intelligence, we employ our whole brains to create cultures where people stay, thrive, and achieve their best work.
How Emotionally Intelligent is Your Sales Team?
Virtual sales engagements are tough—especially when you can’t “read the room” for social and emotional cues that could make or break a deal. Q for Sales changes that. Using computer vision and advanced emotion AI, Q for Sales is the first tool of its kind to arm sellers with real-time contextual insights to help them perform their best.