09. In the search of growth...

09.

If we are responsible for leading people,
​we have an even greater responsibility
​to lead ourselves.

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​Leadership is not just about managing others - it really begins with mastering self-awareness and self-management, the two first pillars of emotional intelligence.

Research shows that emotional intelligence predicts 67% of leadership effectiveness.  

Especially when starting a new role, though, we do not have much time to reflect.
So let’s do it together right now:

• What are my top 3 values? Another way to ask this question is: what do I expect from the people around me and what can they expect of me? This allows us to have more transparency on expectations.
• How do I handle conflicts? We all would like to think that we are good at navigating conflict, but the fact is we often simply avoid it. We lean into agreeableness or silence in discussions, which impairs decisions.
• How will I prioritise my well-being? The thing is, we are not our best selves when we are under stress, and stress level inevitably increases in roles with team responsibilities. So more than ever, it will be important that we put ourselves first.

Personally, I have had a few bad leaders, what today we would call ‘toxic’; and I have also had some absolutely amazing role models that serve me as inspiration until today. 
We can learn from both types but having a self-aware leader is always far more impactful and has a pay-it-forward effect.

Sounds interesting. How do I use emotional intelligence at my work?
    Another day, another great question. So…

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