Emotional Intelligence and good decision making are things that are nurtured. You are NOT born with them. In fact, biologically, the frontal lobe of our brains (a key neurological muscle for emotional intelligence) is not fully developed in females until around 25 years of age and, not until around 32 for males (some women would argue successfully that the frontal lobes in some males never fully develops…).
With the development of our emotional intelligence though, comes a key skill that great leaders possess: the ability to be aware of how we feel in certain situations or conditions.
For example, a seasoned airline pilot – one that has thousands of hours of flight time – will view a horrendous storm or mechanical failure in flight different than a pilot that has just got their license. True, experience counts; however, it is the emotional intelligence that was gained through nurturing that keeps them calm and able to make good decisions.
Here is the key take away: With greater awareness of what is going on and how a leader sees the situation, the leader can make better decisions. And, with better decisions, we get better results.
Often we have heard someone say during a moment of chaos: “take a deep breath.” When really all you want to do is scream and run around, the wisdom in the awareness at that moment of crisis and actually s l o w i n g d o w n is exactly what is needed to gain the awareness, make the good decision. Soon you’ll see… ta-da! better outcomes.
Robert Murray is a Vancouver, BC based Business Strategy Consultant, #1 Best Selling Author, and International Keynote Speaker. For further advice, insight and inspiration on how to unlock your inner leader, follow Robert on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
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Tags: Decision Making, Emotional Intelligence, It's Already Inside, Leadership, Robert Murray, Robert S. Murray, Self-Awareness
