EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: WHY BUSINESS LEADERS MUST HAVE IT IN THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

If leaders don't create a safe environment for people to express their views unhesitatingly, then employees will always feel unheard and left out, which, in turn, will impact their morale and motivation, eventually impacting their productivity and performance

- Mamta Sharma

Emotional intelligence (EI) has always been relevant to effective leadership. In the post-pandemic world, where work still continues to be remote and the challenge to engage and build trust remains, it is, all the more, a vital ability to enhance and practice.

People Matters spoke to leadership experts on how a lack of emotional intelligence in business leaders can be devastating for the workforce, the top characteristics of emotional intelligence that leaders need to build on and how emotionally intelligent leaders can act as a retention lever for people in the ongoing talent war.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is deeply rooted in self-awareness. It starts with the ability to understand (in real-time) the emotions a person is experiencing.

“But the crux is to understand how those emotions can tend to affect how a person behaves, reacts and decides/makes choices based on the impact of the emotions. The second level of emotional intelligence is social awareness i.e., being conscious of how others feel and how those emotions can impact their behaviours/ choices,” says Gurprriet Singh, managing director, APAC Regional Leader of Leadership & Succession, Russell Reynolds Associates.

Why emotional intelligence is crucial to effective leadership now

Emotional intelligence has always been relevant to effective leadership, but in a post-pandemic world, it is a vital ability for a number of reasons. During the pandemic, when everyone was going through a really tough time, there was an increased need for leaders to be “present” for their team members, to be able to connect and engage with them much more. More importantly, to be able to listen to them intently.