Emotional Intelligence is the Future of Leadership
By Bill Marklein, Founder of Employ Humanity
I am often asked at my seminars regarding the next generation of work “Bill, do you have concerns about technology replacing people’s jobs?” It is a real question to ponder. I often reply, “No, but I sure am concerned about humans becoming more like robots!” With the next generation of work, we need to really start having real conversations about human-only skills and our relationship with technology. Can technology lead people with empathy, curiosity, creativity and imagination? No. Human beings are the machines uniquely full of dynamic emotions. We must embrace our unique emotional composition within this next generation of work. It is Emotional Intelligence, not Artificial Intelligence, that is the future of leadership.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence is the alertness of emotions and how manage those emotions in ourselves and others. Sounds basic but is a very rare skill for effective leadership and human flourishing. Emotional Intelligence, abbreviated as EI, helps us navigate the complexities of change, personalities and diverse thinking. EI helps us process emotions in a healthy way. My leadership development company, Employ Humanity, recently conducted a survey of 3,011 professionals and found that 96% believe the best leaders have high EI. This is a profound statistic and yet we are not developing this skill to enrich professional and personal relationships.
How does technology acceleration affect Emotional Intelligence?
Not only does technology acceleration increase the relevance of human-only skills, but technology acceleration also increases the dysfunction of developing human-only skills. Think about that! With constant interaction with technology, are we becoming less attentive and focused? Yes. More anxious and stressed? Yes. More impatient? Certainly. Less human? Possibly. A healthy relationship with technology and the ability to disconnect and unplug is not only important for our well-being, but our leadership. The future of leadership is the ability to reconnect with oneself and others—to become more human in a world of accelerated, on-demand technology.
Can anyone develop their Emotional Intelligence?
Yes! This should be a priority for the next generation of work. Here are several ways to be a better leader with Emotional Intelligence:
- Pause more, react less
- Listen with curiosity and empathy
- Adapt quickly to change
- Self-reflect often
- Monitor your irrational self-talk/self-critic
- Truly know your strengths, weaknesses and emotional triggers
- Ask thoughtful questions to yourself and others
- Unplug from technology and enjoy nature
- Be where your feet are
- Pour inward to serve outward
This post is locked to comments.
