Organizations are feeling the pain of people leaving due to the way they are mistreated by their bosses. Many studies are chalking this up to the manager’s lack of Emotional Intelligence (aka EQ), so let's take a look at nine reasons why managers need emotional intelligence.

But what is emotional intelligence, and why is it so important?

​- Daniel Goleman, Working with Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. EQ is the key to both personal and professional success.

It’s pretty evident why we need emotional intelligence just by that definition!

In the majority of the executive coaching, leadership development and management workshops that I facilitate, emotional intelligence is where we focus most of our time! It is the key to higher employee engagement.

Here are nine very practical reasons why it's so important for manager to improve their emotional intelligence:

1. Keeping control of your emotions so you don’t spread the toxicity

2. Not flying off the handle and adding to the already high disengagement percentages

3. Better at connecting and relating to your people

4. Avoid backstabbing and power struggles and it builds trust

5. Can better notice and probe when a person is giving non-verbal signals

6. Helps make your people feel understood and appreciated

7. You get more loyalty and productivity from your people

8. Gets the team to better gel and creates efficiencies

9. It is much easier to inspire your team to be accountable

Managers with higher emotional intelligence have more optimism and perseverance (aka GRIT), and this has a direct impact on their teams.

Like any management skill, some people are just naturally good at EQ. But the majority of people need to work on their emotional intelligence. My book, Leading with GRIT®, offers practical insights and tips for those who need to improve their emotional intelligence.

We’ve all worked at places we dreaded going to every day: jobs where we didn’t feel valued, trusted, or heard; places devoid of trust, effective communication, and true motivation. In workplaces like these, loyalty goes out the window, little work gets done, and everyone looks out for themselves.

Meanwhile, as we suffer, so does the quality of the product or service we’re providing. Ultimately, no one is happy. We feel taken advantage of, overwhelmed, and helpless to make changes, and our employer is frustrated by the lack of productivity of his employees.

When experiencing these feelings, most of us will gossip rather than communicate openly, blame others rather than examine our own behavior, make assumptions rather than ask for clarification. These behaviors are at the root of a toxic workplace.

In Leading with GRIT®, I walk readers through the GRIT® system, a road map of sorts designed to enhance communication, improve productivity, and maximize overall organizational health for any organization, large or small. Grab your copy now!