The importance of emotional intelligence in managers

A good leader is someone who knows how to guide their team to business success. They must have leadership qualities as well as plenty of professional experience. But that’s not all—they must also have good emotional intelligence. Did you know that emotional intelligence is increasingly important to be a good manager?

Emotional intelligence on the management team: Why is it so important?

Emotional intelligence has nothing to do with problem-solving abilities at work from a strictly technical perspective. To talk about emotional intelligence is to talk about other kinds of personal qualities, such as empathy, initiative, adaptability in the face of adverse events, and persuasiveness. Competencies like these are the foundation of success in any company. The question, then, is what are the social skills that make up emotional intelligence?

There are 5 specific social skills or emotional qualities that a manager must have in order to be successful with their company:  self-awareness, personal motivation, self-control, empathy, and social aptitudes. Of course, these skills can be learned and developed, but to do that, you have to be completely committed. Let’s take a closer look!

1. Knowledge of oneself or self-awareness

A good manager, with emotional intelligence, is able to manage other people’s emotions. But to do that, they must first recognize and analyze their own emotions. The greater your self-awareness, the better you can identify feelings and understand their possible effects. But most importantly, you can learn how to avoid the situations that provoke them. For example, if you are upset by not finishing a meeting on time, the meeting should be planned in advance. In this way, the emotions of anger and frustration from this cause will no longer exist or affect you.

2. Self-control or self-regulation

Understanding your own emotions and knowing how to manage them, but also being able to control yourself. Finding the way to keep emotional impulses at bay so that they don’t damage interpersonal relationships or the company’s smooth operations.

3. Personal motivation

A leader shows passion for their work, for everything they do, and for achieving established goals. Emotional intelligence says that that same passion and motivation must be transmitted to the entire team so that everyone is aligned. On the other hand, personal motivation also goes hand in hand with adaptability. Adapting to adverse situations and knowing how to resolve conflicts without losing an ounce of enthusiasm.

4. Empathy

Empathy is the most recognizable personal skill. This dimension of emotional intelligence says that, before acting, we should think from our own point of view as well as others’. A manager who works with empathy is able to recognize other people’s emotions, and they understand the need to look at things from the perspective of their peers. In addition, this is a way to build quality, long-term work relationships. The key is in viewing the feelings of collaborators as just another factor that must be considered before making any decision.

5. Social aptitudes

A manager with strong social aptitudes has the ability to interact effectively with their team. They are friendly, respectful, sociable, and know how to create and maintain good relationships with their peers. They listen attentively to the ideas of their collaborators and give their all to making sure everyone is moving in the same direction once the strategy has been defined.

In short, emotional intelligence in managers is a trait that is increasingly important in business. This is because companies know that their commercial success is directly dependent on their workers’ ability to recognize and control their own emotions and those of their customers.

Having a team of managers who have emotional intelligence and can manage these five dimensions will take your company to the next level, just like contacting the best partners in Strategic Sourcing. To make your business more profitable and reduce the costs of your imports, contact us today. We can’t wait to hear from you!