Last week on Leading the Factory Forward we revisited the concept of emotional intelligence and the entrepreneur. 

Whether you’re on your own in business, leading a small to mid-sized company, or operating as a leader in any capacity, emotional intelligence plays a role in your life. Keep reading to learn exactly how it impacts you as a leader.

The Challenges

There are also various challenges for corporations regarding emotional intelligence. Some roadblocks get in leaders’ ways when they are trying to practice this most important idea.

The Goleman EI Group is talking about 10 challenges facing corporations concerning emotional intelligence. Here are 3 of them:

• Employee engagement, retention, and attraction

• Leadership development

• Innovation and transformation

The Competencies of Emotional Intelligence

There are several qualities of an emotionally intelligent person, but here are 4 of the most important:

• Self-awareness

• Emotional balance

• Empathy

• Adaptability

Respond Well

When you are anticipating a conversation with someone who doesn’t share your values, first consciously decide that you are going to go out and understand how people are talking and thinking about things. Make an effort to understand more about who people are and where they're coming from. 

This stems from taking the stance of choosing to learn, even from those people who don’t share your values. Just because you don’t agree with someone doesn’t mean you can’t seek to understand why they believe what they believe. 

Secondly, consider the commonalities between you and the person you disagree with. You are both human beings and must share some qualities. 

The third step is to embrace curiosity and have patience. However, you can still acknowledge that emotions are involved. If you’re worried about a conversation you are going to have, be curious and ask the other person questions. Consider letting the other person talk uninterrupted for five minutes. 

Throughout all of this, practice patience by not responding or reacting all the time. That is emotional self-control. 

Finally, don’t give in to a driveby shouting. Push through and stay in the conversation without shouting your opinion.