Broaden your emotional intelligence to be a better leader

Research shows people with high emotional intelligence (EQ) make successful leaders because they can relate to, empathise with, and understand the people in their teams.

There are five important EQ indicators commonly recognised among high performing leaders, which have strong links to guiding behaviours behind the Leadership competencies for Queensland.

Understanding your EQ and how it impacts your behaviour offers a fantastic opportunity to enhance your leadership development and build your professional relationships.

A leader with high EQ will demonstrate:

1. self-awareness – an ability to pursue continuous growth, pause when required, benefit from constructive criticism, apologise when necessary, and protect themselves emotionally.
2. self-regulation – a high degree of control over personal thoughts and feelings, a strong authenticity of character, and an ability to keep commitments.
3. motivation – an ability to motivate and inspire others, praise, and recognise achievement, and provide helpful and constructive feedback.
4. empathy – an expression of empathy for themselves and the people around them.
5. social skills – an ability to build enduring relationships, foster healthy and inclusive workplaces, a readiness to forgive and move on from disagreements or disruption, and a willingness to help others.

Sometimes these elements of emotional intelligence can come naturally, and sometimes they need some active development to be utilised to their full potential. Either way, being conscious of your EQ and the ways it can be expressed is the first step in integrating it into your own leadership abilities.

If you would like to develop your EQ in line with the leadership competencies for Queensland consider the People matters leadership program.

Find out about career development opportunities in the Queensland public sector.

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Last updated:

30 June 2022