Emotional intelligence can make or break a leader. Those with it will be listened to and lined up behind. Those without it – even if they have every other weapon in the manager’s arsenal – may well struggle to take others with them.
But what is emotional intelligence and can it be learned?
A relatively new management concept, emotional intelligence is back as water cooler conversation. Lodestone Capital’s Rebecca Worthington identified it as a hot topic at last month’s British Property Federation summer reception. And in the latest version of one of the most successful computer games of all time – FIFA 15 – players are being invested with emotional intelligence, though some might suggest too much of that will render the game unrealistic.
Emotional intelligence, says Oxford Dictionaries, is “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically”. It is, say the editors, “the key to both personal and professional success”.
For management trainers, it is EQ that helps us cope with change. (No, it’s not known as EI, confusingly, to emphasise how it complements IQ.) And with the pace of change in corporate life intensifying, it will only become more important.
Property, as some at the BPF reception suggested, doesn’t seem a natural home for EQ-infused individuals. But in reality it should be. Integrity and charisma are at the heart of EQ, as are empathy and compassion. And all can be developed.
“Research suggests that EQ accounts for 27-55% of job success. And while IQ peaks at between 18 to 20 years of age, EQ is not fixed and rises steadily with age until around 50 years old,” says Sheffield University’s Conor Moss.
Eddie Kilkelly, managing director of coaching firm insynergi, says EQ is essential in collaborative environments where joint ventures and team working are commonplace – much like today’s property business in other words.
“Project management guru Mary McKinlay says that 80% of project failure results from people issues,” he says. “Organisations that can complete projects successfully win a massive head start over the majority of their rivals – and emotionally intelligent people are a major component of that success.”
How to demonstrate and foster emotional intelligence:
? Create a sense of urgency. Do not wait for a crisis, but create the same sense of urgency about the importance of completing the project successfully.
? Help teams take ownership of the projects.
? Create a vision and “over-communicate” it so that people are in no doubt what the business leaders are aiming for.
? Remove obstructions and distractions so that there are no excuses.
? Celebrate quick wins regularly.
? Evolve the change plan and adapt it as required.
Source: insynergi/Personnel Today
damian.wild@estatesgazette.com
