4 Ways Social + Emotional Intelligence Can Improve Your Organisation’s Performance

Standing out in today’s business world is something that most individuals and organisations desire. However, most of them find this hard to achieve because of the ever-changing trends and the number of people doing the same thing. 

So, what makes companies like Apple, Tesla, Meta and other top companies survive, thrive and stand out in this fast-paced, competitive business world? What makes them above the rest? 

The foundation for their success can mainly be attributed to Social + Emotional Intelligence. 

What Is Emotional Intelligence and How Is It Related to An Organisation’s Success? 

Social + Emotional Intelligence is defined as the ability to be aware of our own emotions and those of others in the moment and to use that information to manage ourselves and manage our relationships.  

A study by the Northeast Business & Economics Association explored the relationship between an organisation's success and Emotional Intelligence. The study was conducted amongst the top 100 companies featured by the Fortune 500 magazine. They found that emotional intelligence played a role in these companies' management structures and policies. And these are what drew their employees to become more engaged in their roles. 

Simply put, the study proved that Emotional Intelligence plays a significant role in individual and organisational success. 

So, here is how Emotional Intelligence can help you and your organisation thrive and succeed in this Volatile, Uncertain, Challenging and Ambitious business world:
 

1. Emotional Intelligence Makes You Self Aware.
 

Self-awareness is the ability to be aware of your own emotions, intuitions and preferences and know where they come from.  

Self-awareness allows you to understand who you are as a person. It gives you the ability to perceive how you come across, know what your strengths and limitations are, know what you truly want and even enable you to measure your emotions.  

Developing Self awareness is critical to realising your and your team's maximum potential. 

When you develop self-awareness, you will have the ability to influence outcomes. It also allows you to become better at decision-making, boosting your self-esteem (personal power) and communicating with greater clarity and intention. 

In addition, self-awareness also enables you to see from different perspectives. Thus, liberating you from your preconceptions and biases and making you have better relationships with others. 

A study conducted by Ferry International reveals that organisations with self-aware leaders have more significant financial returns. 

Furthermore, the study has shown that self-aware leaders outperform their less self-aware counterparts at work. The reason is that they have more favourable relationships with their colleagues and team members, are more capable of delivering constructive feedback, and are less stressed. According to another study, self-aware leaders are more likely to instil self-awareness in their team members. 

These studies show that self-aware leaders can recognise their feelings, distinguish between them, understand why they are feeling them, and understand their sentiments' influence on them and the people around them. 

For example, when a team member makes a mistake, an emotionally self-aware leader delivers logical feedback rather than retaliating with an emotionally charged tirade. Giving reasonable feedback allows a team member to grow and learn from mistakes rather than fostering low morale and disengagement from leadership. 

2. Emotional Intelligence Empowers You to Manage Yourself.
 

"Willpower is what separates us from the animals. It's the capacity to restrain our impulses, and resist temptation - do what's right and good for us in the long run, not what we want to do right now. It's central, in fact, to civilisation." - Roy Baumeister (Social Psychologist) 

True power is found in one's ability to control oneself. Self Management enables you to do that.   

Self-management is managing one's internal states, impulses and resources. 

People with this ability can withstand and overcome challenging situations. This is because they can come up with innovative and creative solutions. After all, they are determined, and distracting emotions do not cloud their minds. They can also manage their stress, enabling them to become agile under challenging circumstances. Studies also show that people who have self-management are the ones who will most likely achieve their goals.  

A leader who possesses these attributes is capable of remaining calm amid hardship and is capable of embracing change. They thrive and can give their all under challenging scenarios. They also create an atmosphere of harmony and trustworthiness in their team by mastering self-control and not allowing their instincts to dominate. 

Furthermore, a leader must be honourable and trustworthy for a team and organisation to succeed. These traits can only be attained when people can manage themselves because they cannot lead others if they cannot lead themselves first. 

3. Emotional Intelligence helps you become Socially Aware. 

While understanding and managing your emotions is vital for overcoming challenges and succeeding, you must remember that you cannot course through a challenge alone as a leader.  

For your organisation to thrive and succeed, you need the help of others. Therefore, to have better relationships with others, you must also understand and be aware of their emotions, feelings, needs, and worries. 

This is known as Social Awareness. 

Not only can social awareness help you comprehend others, but it will also help you grasp the dynamics at work within your organisation. 

Empathy is demonstrated by leaders that have a high level of Social Awareness. They strive to empathise with and understand their teammates' views and feelings, which allows them to communicate and collaborate more effectively. 

4. Emotional Intelligence enables you to have better relationships.

What distinguishes great leaders from good leaders is their ability to inspire others. 

Several studies show that turnover problems are due to leadership problems. Furthermore, these studies reveal that most people are leaving their jobs because of their relationship with their bosses.  

So, why do some leaders seem to be able to encourage and inspire those around them while others appear to be going through the motions? 

Well, the answer lies in Relationship Management.  

Relationship Management is the ability to induce desirable behaviours. Having skills in this quadrant will allow you to effectively influence, coach, mentor, and resolve problems as a leader. 

Contrary to popular belief, avoiding conflict is not always the best choice. According to Harvard Business Review research, unresolved disagreement is a substantial drain on an organisation's resources. According to the study, each unresolved conflict can consume up to eight hours of company time in gossip and other useless activities, depleting resources and morale.  

Leaders who have Relationship Management competencies deal with disputes constructively rather than avoiding them. Therefore, making having more inspired and engaged team members. 

Indeed, Social + Emotional Intelligence is the key to thriving and standing out in this fast-paced, competitive business world. Not only does it help you become a better version of yourself, but it also helps you have better relationships with others by enabling them to become aware of their emotions and handle and manage them.  

So, what are you waiting for? 

Take the first step to improving your organisation’s performance by developing your’s and your team’s Social + Emotional Intelligence. 

Starting this October, we will release a series of videos from our Emotional Intelligence Online Summit that will help you develop your’s and your team’s Emotional Intelligence.

We Are Here to Help 

At People Builders, we have a team of expert trainers and coaches who can help you build your and your team’s Emotional Intelligence.  

Contact us today for a quick chat to see how we can partner with you to train and coach you and your team. 

If you are interested in becoming certified to be a trainer and coach in Social and Emotional Intelligence, Applied Neuroscience, or Extended DISC, go to our People Builders Institute website.