Have you ever before found yourself unexpectedly in a leadership role? Gasping for air...need a life jacket in the leadership pool?
Being a leader can be an unbelievably fulfilling part of your career. Yet the shift can be intimidating especially as you rise at various levels? How do you prepare? What are the obstacles? Exactly how can you guarantee you are ready when leadership comes knocking?
You quickly think, "Yes...I am climbing the ladder."
But are you ready? Be honest with yourself.
This proverbial ladder we are pursuing can be challenging because society has indoctrinated us to climb the ladder to demonstrate success.
Let's be honest: How many people really are prepared for leadership? Most of the time, you are thrown in the deep end without a life vest.
Yet, you are determined to stick with it! A question creeps in..."Should I quit and relinquish my leadership title?" (Too much pride for that!)
As a leader in these times, you might feel unprepared and overloaded by the obligations that come with your role. You might find yourself making mistakes or giving up altogether. This can damage your reputation in the workplace and make future promotions difficult.
Yes, leaders must have a strong structure in management principles and methods, but they must also have a solid foundation to help them lead others—those people! It is also essential to have a solid foundation in self-leadership!
Here is the truth. You will never be 100% ready. Even as you move into various leadership roles - each role will have its challenges. Why? Because you lead different people with different goals and motivations.
Let's discover the crucial elements of emotional intelligence that will help you become an effective leader.
*Note: IQ will get you hired. EQ will get you promoted!
I am going to give you 3 nuggets - scoop them up real quick!
✅ Self-awareness (Self-Leadership) Recognizing your likes, dislikes, triggers, bias....YOUR BS (belief system), strengths & opportunities. Leadership starts with a deep understanding of oneself- "warts and all." Greater self-awareness promotes self-trust, allowing one to make decisions aligned with one's values, not outside pressures - the noise. How do you want to show up? When you do show up, are you exuding authenticity?
✅ Empathy. (Leadership Superpower) It's so simple to get caught up in our way of thinking and agenda and forget to solicit input or hear other perspectives. Empathy is essential in understanding and valuing diverse perspectives within the team. It helps you see things from their viewpoint, ultimately allowing you to make better decisions about how you lead them.
✅ Flexibility. (ADAPT!) One of the best ways to become a much better leader is to establish flexibility around your concepts, approaches, and style so that they can be adapted based on others' responses. This ensures everyone feels their voice matters when it comes time for decisions and solutions. This kind of buy-in from everyone included will convince others to follow up with your plan because they feel like their opinions were considered.
✅ BONUS: Get a coach, therapist, mentor. (Ask for help!) Obtaining guidance or advice can assist in managing challenging issues as they appear and give structure on how to gradually lead her team. Everyone needs a sounding board and an objective opinion!
You are not alone. Feeling unprepared or overwhelmed is common! Remember: Emotions + Behavior = Drivers for Success. Leadership comes with challenges, and blunders are inevitable. Ask for help so you will not be on these streets unleashing irrational behavior because you were thrown into an uncharted leadership territory!
While you may never be 100% prepared, maximizing your EQ empowers you to overcome obstacles with clarity and become a more effective leader with your confidence reignited. It will never remove all the chaos or crisis, that will always be.
Maximizing your EQ allows you to be emotionally brilliant through it all.
Let's be Emotionally Brilliant (96.8% of the time!)🥴!
Have you seen my TOP LINKEDIN BADGE FOR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?
(My 2nd - I received a TOP LINKEDIN LEADERSHIP BADGE AS WELL!)
How can I help you on your lifelong journey with instant impact? I look forward to hearing from you.
