18 Habits of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Habit #1 – Self Awareness
Over 18 weeks, we are excited to introduce 18 habits that separate emotionally intelligent leaders from the rest. These habits fill the gap between mediocre, good, and great leaders.
Habit #2 – Growth-Focused: Seek feedback from leaders and subordinates. Feedback is all around us – be certain to listen.
One aspect of emotional intelligence is anchored in self-assessment and your ability to assess yourself in the moment. But it also includes using external information as a part of your assessment. This allows us to grow.
Growth can come in many forms.
According to Carol Dweck having a growth mindset refers to people who believe that their success comes through time and effort. They believe their skills and intelligence can be improved with effort and persistence. They embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, learn from criticism and seek out the inspiration that can come from the success of others.
That brings us to this week’s emotional intelligence habit.
Emotionally intelligent leaders seek feedback.
Giving and receiving feedback can be both challenging and rewarding.
What leader does not love the opportunity to share high fives and shower praise on those who are shining?
Yet, did you know that in one Harvard Business Review study, the authors found that 57% of people preferred corrective feedback compared with 43% who preferred praise. This is further underscored by the finding that 92% of those surveyed stated that corrective feedback improves performance.
Let’s touch on two types of feedback we avoid like the plague.
😫 1. A root canal is probably preferred over sharing difficult performance or behavior feedback.
😤 2. Receiving difficult feedback can feel like it hits at the very core of your being.
Yet, growing in emotional intelligence requires us to lean into both giving and receiving feedback.
I coach leaders to avoid “waiting” for feedback and instead seek it out as a means of growth.
Feedback is all around us. It is represented in the way people speak, behavior, engage and perform. It is represented in the money you earn and the way you advance.
Feedback is all around us. It’s up to us to use it.
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Read on for types of feedback leaders can use.
Types of Feedback
As I mentioned, leaders have feedback all around them. Wherever you look, there is feedback. Wherever you focus, there is feedback.
Here are five types of feedback leaders can tap into.
- Direct feedback – This type comes from people you work closely with. These can be one-on-one conversations, performance evaluations, or informal feedback sessions. Direct feedback can provide insight into your behaviors, communication style, decision-making, and overall effectiveness.
- 360-degree feedback – This type involves gathering feedback from multiple sources, including peers, subordinates, supervisors, and even external stakeholders. It offers a broader understanding of how others perceive the leader and how their actions impact various stakeholders.
- Customer or client feedback – This feedback can be in the form of surveys, reviews, or direct communication. This is also about you. It helps you understand how your leadership impacts the satisfaction and experiences of external stakeholders.
- Performance metrics – Feedback also comes through performance metrics and data. This can include financial indicators, operational metrics, customer satisfaction scores, engagement surveys, or productivity data. Analyzing these helps you assess the impact of your decisions and leadership.
- Observational feedback – Observational feedback involves taking in more informal feedback. How are people behaving in meetings? Are they showing up for non-mandatory meetings? Are they sharing contrasting opinions? It also involves asking for feedback and seeking constructive criticism. This is all feedback astute leaders can use to improve performance.
Which type of feedback do you use most often?
Which kind of feedback could you tap into a little more?
Regularly using all types of feedback places you in the best position to understand the impact of your leadership and make adjustments that may benefit the team.
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