How emotional intelligence drives reinvention and growth

TODAY'S fast-paced and rapidly evolving workplace requires us to change and adapt at increasing speeds, while still managing complex interpersonal demands.

- HARVEY DEUTSCHENDORF

Building and developing emotional intelligence as a critical skill enables leaders and employees to not only meet these challenges, but thrive and excel in this new working reality.

‘Career quicksand’

The basis of emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise and manage our emotions, with an understanding of how they impact others. Beyond that, emotional intelligence gives us greater ability to understand the emotions of others, allowing for more empathy. This in turn increases our ability to work effectively with others of different backgrounds and perspectives.

Glenn Llopis, author of Make Reinvention Your Superpower, argues that a lack of emotional intelligence traps people in what he calls “career quicksand”. He explains that this occurs when individuals lose sight of their unique capabilities because they are rewarded for following the corporate playbook instead of their own. As a result, they are not encouraged to explore new ideas, having been trained to believe that success relies on executing old ones.

Encouraging traits

Organisations are increasingly becoming aware that being successful today requires more collaboration, creativity and adaptability — skills and abilities built on emotional intelligence. So to be successful in today’s climate, organisations need emotionally intelligent people who can pivot quickly. The good news is that emotional intelligence is not some innate quality; it’s something you can build — meaning employees at all levels of the organisation can be empowered to boost their collaboration, problem-solving and teamwork skills.