CEOs are Building Their Emotional Intelligence to Influence Organizational Success

CEOs are Building Their Emotional Intelligence to Influence Organizational Success

Originally posted on the Leading Challenges Blog.

“As CEO’s we often get hired or succeed to the position based on our ability to get things done. Once in the role, we must realize that what got us here, does not necessarily guarantee our success in the CEO seat. To be a successful leader we need to intentionally develop and use more of our Interpersonal Relationship Skills.”

—David Hallquist, CEO, Vermont Electric Cooperative

CEOs & C-Level Execs are Assessing their Emotional Intelligence

Over the last 6 years in CEO and Key Executive peer groups around the world, over 7,000 CEO’s and C-level executives have been assessing and have had their emotional functioning assessed using the Bar-On Model of Emotional Intelligence (EQi). The Bar-On model is a scientifically validated assessment of Emotional Intelligence (EI) that measures, “an array of non-cognitive skills, emotional and social skills, that influence a person’s ability to successfully cope with environmental pressures and demands.” (Reuven Bar-On 1997) This particular assessment measures 15 non-cognitive competencies of 5 composite skills ranging from interpersonal to general mood that make up an individual’s Emotional Quotient, their respective EQ.

This data collection of those at the top of the organizational pyramid has brought attention to some insightful and important patterns of C-Level Emotional Intelligence.

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Many leaders do indeed want to know if their behavioral “zipper is down.”

They want to identify and understand the costs and benefits of the 15 non-cognitive skills. They want to understand how these skills impact their own self-management and their ability to not only survive and cope, but to thrive as they respond to the environmental pressures and demands in their professional and personal lives.

By guiding leaders through an acute self-awareness process via the EQi assessment, C-Levels executives become aware of their emotional functioning and how it manifests itself into sometimes predicable patterns of behavior. They gain valuable insights into when their “emotional-zipper” is down.

Leaders are hesitant to have EI competencies measured

As Hallquist implies, many leaders are “doers” by nature. As such, CEO’s may be hesitant to have EI competencies such as empathy, social responsibility, interpersonal relationships and impulse control measured. And, while they may be uncomfortable or even disagree with the results in the short-term, the heightened awareness and subsequent EI skill building may be just what the C-Level leader needs to begin to improve their leadership effectieness in the long-term.

The Role of the CEO and C-Level Executive and the Critical EI skills required

As a result of thousands of hours of developmental leadership conversations with C-level executives about their Emotional Intelligence greater clarity on a vital role of a CEO has been identified. Through these conversations, along with observations of what these leaders “do” every day, it has become apparent that a role of the C-level executive and especially the CEO is to influence individual and organizational behavior.

Become a behavioral influencer in business

The day a leader is tasked and accepts the challenge to lead, he or she enters the “behavioral influence business.” A leader’s success depends less on the “ability to get things done” and more on the ability to influence others to think and behave in ways that will help the business succeed.

The 15 non-cognitive competencies measured by the Bar-On EQi Model of Emotional Intelligence provides these leaders with valuable information and insights about how certain patterns in their EI skills may enhance or hinder their ability to influence behavior and ultimately effectively lead.

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