The ‘Great Resignation’—a mass exodus of employees—could be attributed to heavy-handed employers, ignoring employee thoughts and feelings. It’s been a wake up call for the corporate world. The old model, where subordinates were simply told, and not asked, what to do, no longer fits. During lockdown especially, employees got a taste of freedom and flexibility. Now, everyone wants to know their input is valued.
Instead of viewing people as subordinates—pieces to be moved around on a chessboard—the emotionally intelligent leader must take feelings, aspirations and relationships into consideration. The first step towards emotionally intelligent leadership is connecting with others, learning what motivates them to think and act independently whilst continually getting the best out of them.
Are leaders learning to empower their employees?
Despite growing awareness of improved leadership models, there has not yet been a sustainable shift in paradigms. Kiri-Maree Moore, CEO and founder of Decision Velocity Global, is a global advisor, strategist and investor who has poured her life into studying the DecisionDNA patterns of leadership. Looking at the global leadership landscape, Moore asks: ‘How are leaders able to make an impact in the business world? Are they empowering people to make smart and ethical decisions? Or do they continue to repeat the mistakes of the past?’
“The key to producing ‘effective’ leaders,” according to Moore, “is to recognize and develop emotional intelligence (EQ). In a business context, EQ is often defined as the use of key interpersonal skills that complement the usual business skills. It’s the ability to understand people’s feelings and treat them in such a way as to elicit the best business outcomes. EQ also involves knowing yourself. It’s about understanding your own emotional needs and maintaining your cool even when the pressure is on. But this is merely the starting point. The next level is being able to exercise Human Intelligence (HI). Effective Intelligence (EI) is a combination of EQ and HI and is the difference between success or failure.”
Moore’s definition of EI surpasses the old, adding a new dimension. She explains, “If regular EQ is the ability to understand, manage and handle emotions, ‘Effective Intelligence’ (as I like to call it) involves knowing how to skillfully apply that understanding in such a way that it produces growth, and change within the organization. Knowledge is useful but it only adds value where it can also shift paradigms.”
A growing body of research supports the need for EQ amongst executives. Whilst raw cognitive ability has been the traditional metric for managers, it is only part of the bigger picture. In studies, those who had a high IQ but low emotional intelligence experienced job failure rates as high as 25%. Candidates who had EQ, along with a reasonable level experience and IQ, only failed in as little as 3-4% of cases.
Modern leadership understands the importance of creating a ‘safe culture’ for employees. Staff members are not obstacles to success but the very means of achieving it. Therefore, managers must learn to introduce sustainable solutions and make ethical decisions that work for everyone, not just those at the top. A collaborative, open and respectful environment builds trust amongst employees, increasing productivity and optimizing work capacity. Investment in human capital is a must.
The Velocity Pathway: cutting edge leadership and long term solutions
The ‘velocity pathway’ is the term that Moore uses to describe higher functioning leaders who create win after win for their firms. She explains, “If you want to reach the highest level, you must ‘recognize human intelligence inputs’, analyze them and convert them into decisions, which match the company’s DNA. When your decision aligns with your company culture and creates a win, you are exhibiting the true measure of human intelligence.”
Whilst many companies use EQ to improve decision quality, Moore has discovered that many only do so at a lower level of sophistication. She adds, “It’s not wrong to employ basic EQ principles. It’s a great starting point and a valid pathway. But, if you want to play big, scale growth and impact culture, then I recommend you choose the velocity pathway. This understands the need for a new approach where pioneers, innovators and cutting-edge leaders can design sustainable solution pathways to narrow the gap from problem to solution. I’m a long term strategist and advisor, not a short term fixer.”
The perils of ignoring emotional intelligence
Recent stories from large online retailers have suggested how easy it can be to lose touch with employee needs. Delivery drivers who aren’t allowed to stop for a toilet break, or people who feel that they are working excessively long hours. Some employees have made calls to unionize in order to negotiate better working conditions.
But in Moore’s opinion, “It’s sad that scenarios like this still dominate the conversation in 2022. I want to see a new paradigm emerge, but, for this to be true, much change is required.”
She continues: “The old approach to leadership has gotten us to this point, but this is not an acceptable blueprint to leave behind for the generations to come. Now is the time to disrupt the patterns that are not working and to exercise the muscle of Human Intelligence (HI). It’s the only way to create effective leaders who are able to make better decisions.”
