Recently a client called me and wanted me to do a speaking engagement for a major insurance company and the topic of emotional intelligence came up. When I stated that my presentation is based in facts and science, the client didn’t understand. I explained that it would take a great deal of pain for an executive to take input and would only do so if changing would create more of what they wanted in terms of career. For example, a Vice President that suddenly loses a 175k base salary and finds himself or herself in job search, would have an impetus to change.
Or, someone who is continually turned down for leadership roles and is tired of constant rejection. Ultimately, all motivation comes from within and often out of pain and suffering.
Emotional intelligence is one of those fluffy subjects that often Human Resources will recommend and the advice falls on deaf ears. However, if you had some data as to why you’d even bother considering improving your emotional intelligence maybe you wouldn’t skip this article.
Often executives don’t find that their skills or lack of education gets in the way of a promotion. It’s their attitudes on how they treat their support staff that brings them to a grinding halt. While emotional intelligence may sound a lot like finishing school for bullies, it isn’t some fluffy idea.
Consider this:
United States Airfoce increase retention by 92% by adopting emotional intelligence training
L’Oreal salespeople sold more $91,370 dollar more of product after training
Salespeople at L’Oreal that took the training has 63% less turnover in the first year
American Express managers grew their business by 18.1 percent compared to 16.2 of those managers that didn’t opt in for the training
The best news is Emotional Intelligence can be developed over time, unlike IQ.
Ever wonder how it works?
The communication between your emotional and logical brain is the physical source of emotional intelligence. The pathway starts in your head and runs into the spinal cord. Your primary senses travel and an emotional will key off before your rational brain can process it. This is why we have an emotional response to event or people. Like busy roads with ruts in them, signals sent to the brain with high emotional stimulus cause us to react – again and again. The pathway becomes a way of thinking and reacting. Having a high emotional intelligence can be developed, and is a lot like hitting the pause button. We all know, not all emotions are worth indulging in or even contemplating.
So what is a quick way to know if you have emotional intelligence and this lack of undeveloped skill will railroad your career?
1) You find yourself interrupting others in conversations
2) Failure isn’t an option for you
3) You don’t care if you aren’t liked
4) You hold everyone around you to the high expectations you have of yourself
5) You are process/objective hyper focused and not people/relationship focused
The payoff is huge for the executive that is constantly frustrated and irritated by their direct reports. Not only will they find more success and career advancement, but they may find themselves (and their thoughts) more peaceful.
Bio:
Elizabeth Lions is the author of two business books entitled “Recession Proof Yourself” and ” I Quit! Working For You Isn’t Working For Me.” , with a third book on the way on leadership. She is an author, coach and speaker for some of the largest high tech companies in the United States. She also has the privilege of teaching and developing leaders in the Middle East and Europe.
In fact, she has the best job in the whole wide world.
“Work” isn’t work to Elizabeth.
For more about her philosophies, please visitwww.elizabethlions.com