As a leader (and a human being for that matter), the biggest step you can make towards nurturing your own Emotional Intelligence (EQ), is to pay homage to those around you. In other words, practice gratitude.
It is people that get things done – great leaders know that. Great leaders also know that people make their decisions emotionally (even though there might be something very logical that we want achieved, people need to connect first with their own emotions around it).
The best way I have found to get things done and connect with people is to practice gratitude for even the smallest of things. There is no better way to tell someone that you appreciate and respect them than by saying: “Thank you.”
Easier said than done though for a lot of people. Why? Well with those that struggle to be leaders, their ego most often gets in the way. I have found people with top level organizational chart positions that struggle with motivating people because their egos do not let them see the value in their team. They have a hard time with trust. They have a hard time believing that people can actually do things better than them. And, they have a really hard time believing that they are not the smartest person in the room.
Solution? If you are one of those that has a hard time with your ego impacting your ability to lead people, the first step is to recognize it. The recognition might come in the form of many indicators from poor 360 feedback results, the inability to get along with people, and terrible relationships with customers. Still having trouble recognizing an out of control ego? My recommendation is spending time with your teenagers (if you have them) or rent someone else’s teenagers. They will tune your out of control ego up in no time.
Next… Practice gratitude. Every chance you get, thank people for doing things for you. The waiter that fills your glass with water (thank you). Your assistant for booking a meeting (thank you). The person that let’s you cut in the line in traffic (thank you (wave)). Whatever it is, become conscious about saying: “Thank you.”
Become good at it and watch your leadership results take off!
