Last Updated on October 22, 2022 by Editors Desk
Main Highlights:
- What is emotional intelligence?
- What is executive coaching?
- How is emotional intelligence linked with executive coaching?
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the capacity to recognise and control your own emotions as well as those of others. Naturally, recognizing and controlling your emotions are two entirely different things, as are your feelings and those of another person. Internal motivation, self-regulation, self-awareness, empathy, and social awareness are the five subcategories of emotional intelligence.
Importance of emotional intelligence
“Until people know how much you care, no one will care how much you know.”
Being a human involves having emotions, and the EI quotient is what makes us who we are. EI enables people to prioritise their own well-being as well as the welfare of others.
The ability to lead and inspire others is a trait of emotional intelligence. Consequently, they will be able to build good relationships and succeed at work. Moreover, in our private lives.
What is executive coaching?
Executive coaching follows the same procedures and has the same goals as traditional coaching. Executive coaching primarily targets executives, C-suite workers (such as CEOs, CFOs, and CMOs), and senior leaders. Larger organizations frequently use executive coaching to help their generally younger leadership teams enhance their performance, capabilities, and development, but scale-ups and startups are increasingly doing the same.
An external executive coach who has received proper training and certification frequently works with a top leader or management within an organization through a single or series of coaching sessions. These coaching sessions are private by nature because they are one-on-one. The coach will collaborate with the executive or senior leadership team to help the individual reach their full potential, promote reflection, and explore the “here and now.”
Executive coaching is becoming increasingly significant in ensuring that executives, leaders, and managers in organisations are prepared to maximise their own potential and, in turn, the potential of the organisation in which they are employed. Executive coaching is frequently employed in succession planning to make sure that employees taking on new, senior jobs, which frequently come with a lot of additional responsibility, are adequately prepared.
Contrary to life and career coaching, executive coaching frequently focuses far more on management duties and leadership skills. Through executive coaching, an effective, resourceful, and successful C-Suite team can be distinguished from a failed one. According to studies, executive coaching can improve a company’s culture, profitability, employee satisfaction, and much more.
How is emotional intelligence linked with executive coaching
Soft skills cannot be taught using conventional didactic education methods because they are neither analytical nor “hard” skills. They are best affected by strict experiential facilitation techniques, which are developed during training by practicing real-issue coaching rather than role-playing.
Executive coaching focuses on a variety of topics, including psychology, business, motivation, and leadership abilities. It can be delivered in person or online.
The client actively participates in the design and delivery of executive coaching, which is typically done during a career change or professional transition.
Stages of executive coaching
- Evaluation
- Feedback, and development
- Organization and execution
Through training, leaders can build emotional and social skills that increase their agility, help them win over their followers, and help them forge a vision that unites and motivates their team. Participants develop the self-assurance to realise their potential and act as change agents and role models for excellence within their workplace.
Some common issues with successful leaders:
- Being Impatient
- Not letting other people finish a sentence
- Figuring out what other people have to say before they say it
- Trying to be right, vs. relational
- Not treating people with enough respect
- Coming across to people as arrogant or opinionated
Leaders must be aware of their surroundings, comprehend how they are feeling at the time, and be able to put themselves in others’ shoes in order to effectively influence and collaborate with people, as well as to contribute to the development and performance of an organisation. The ability to tune into one’s inner signals and comprehend how one’s emotions impact oneself, the people around them, and one’s performance are critical skills for leaders.
According to research, executives who have high emotional intelligence consistently outperform their peers. In fact, emotional intelligence plays a larger role in predicting exceptional performance than cognitive ability. Additionally, research indicates that elite leaders exhibit more than 85% of their “star performance” through emotional and social intelligence.
The good news is that, unlike IQ, EI may be developed through time and is considerably less fixed. This is referred to as “maturity” by Goleman. EI can also be greatly enhanced by training, coaching, and feedback. When clients care, when they are willing to learn new behaviours that work and unlearn behaviours that don’t work, when they are willing to involve their stakeholders in their development plan, and when they are willing to learn new behaviours that work.
New findings in the study of the brain also demonstrate how the attitudes and behaviours of leaders have a significant effect on the people they are leading. An entire organisation can be energised or deflated by a leader’s emotions. People are more likely to feel good in difficult circumstances when strong leaders support them in coping with difficult feelings and feed their positive emotions.
