Running a business can be stressful. And if you’re like many people, you may find that you tend to have an emotional reaction when you experience stress or challenge.
When stress causes you to experience negative emotions, it can impact not just your business, but your personal life as well. And that emotional reaction might make you less objective, make problem-solving difficult, and even damage your health.
That’s why it’s so important for leaders to build emotional resilience and develop Emotional Intelligence (EQ). EQ is your ability to manage your emotions, to connect with others, and to empathize. And it can be developed with practice.
Here’s how to increase your Emotional Intelligence:
Identify Your Emotions
Identifying your emotions may sound simple. But it’s actually a skill. Most people don’t know what they’re feeling, or whether they’re feeling something at all. Instead, they respond with irritation and get short-tempered but don’t know why.
When you can identify your emotions, your actions are no longer driven by emotions that you’re not aware of. Instead, you’re able to feel what you feel without making it into something bigger.
An example would be the irritation you feel during your morning commute. When you don’t recognize that this is why you feel irritated then you may end up taking it out on your assistant once you get to the office, even though your assistant isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary.
Understand Your Triggers
When you know what challenges are likely to set you off, you can plan ahead for them. Don’t plan your company event at a rooftop bar if you hate heights. And don’t schedule an early morning meeting if you’re not social in the mornings. The more you understand yourself the easier it is to set yourself up for success.
Drop The Need for Perfection
Nothing is perfect, and the sooner you realize this the easier your work will become. Smart leaders know that things are always evolving and growing. Whether it’s their product or service, or their employees, nothing is ever perfect. The more fluid and flexible you are the more successful you will become.
Let Go of Instant Gratification
Good things are worth the wait. That includes great projects, services, products, and employees. When you move out of impatience and let go of the need for instant gratification you’ll see your business create better outcomes for your customers because of improved attention to detail and patience.
Stay In Your Lane
Understand what your best skills and abilities are and stick to those things. Don’t let your weaknesses hold you back. It can take a lot of time out of your schedule to perform tasks you and your company aren’t skillful at performing. Even if hiring them out currently doesn’t seem feasible for your company, consider the time and emotional costs on you and your team when doing the tasks in house that are not what your company excels doing.
When you develop your emotional intelligence you’ll find that your company will grow at an increased rate. And you’ll have much more control over your company’s future. As you grow, everything around you grows.
