It’s a vital part of a leader’s skill set, but too often in primary care the importance of emotional intelligence is overlooked. Yet in a complex, fast paced, multi professional environment, often with multiple organisations jostling for position and priorities, being aware of your emotions, and able to control and express them can be crucial to success.
A leader's emotional intelligence is seen in a variety of situations, including how they react to feedback, comments or requests that spark an emotional response.
❓Have you ever reacted emotionally to something said or written to you, that rubbed you up the wrong way? Maybe it caused frustration, resistance or even anger. Most leaders will have been in a situation like this, and hopefully you were able to pause, take a step back and really think it through. It can often help you realise that what may have initially upset was actually reasonable. You may even see benefits that your emotions were previously clouding.
If you’re in a leadership role it’s crucial to separate your immediate feelings from rational analysis. That’s not to say your emotions should be ignored but they shouldn't be the sole driver for your decisions and actions.
So next time you’re faced with a request or situation that gets under your skin:
🔶 Pause, acknowledge and take note of your immediate reaction and emotions.
🔷 Take time to process everything, and sleep on it if needed.
🔶 Objectively examine all the facts.
🔷 Make a decision based on a balanced assessment, and not just your feelings.
Like most skills, it may take practice and work, but sharpening your emotional intelligence can pay dividends in terms of relationships, success and the respect you're given as a leader.
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