Inspire Organisational Victory with Enhanced Leadership EQ – Part Five of Real Skills Series

In high-performance business and sports, authentic, emotionally intelligent leadership matters. Leaders who can build relationships and motivate under pressure have something in common: they’re rich in emotional intelligence quotient (EQ). This skill has proven itself on the biggest stage and is indispensable to the best coaches and leaders in the world. This is how you can inspire organisational victory with enhanced leadership EQ.

In leadership, few skills are as impactful as emotional intelligence. With it, we can develop the ability to “know thyself” and be empowered to move others to greatness. Enjoy the 5^th and final instalment of our Leadership Real Skills Blog Series and discover how this skill can give your leaders an advantage and elevate your organisation’s performance.

An Inspired Performance

When referee Wayne Barnes blew his whistle and ended the Rugby World Cup Final in October 2023, rapturous joy engulfed our country. South Africa’s Springboks had won the World Cup for the fourth time.

The world champions showed courage and overcame some of the toughest mental and physical battles possible. They suffered injuries, succumbed to Ireland, fought back and clinched tense 1-point thrillers to establish themselves as the greatest of all time.

But just how did the Springboks write another successful chapter into history? Was it team unity? Determination? Unmatched physical conditioning? Yes, those factors were critical, but behind the scenes, emotionally intelligent leadership was hard at work stirring the hearts of our players and helping them reach their full potential.

Leadership EQ is a Gamechanger

South Africa’s Director of Rugby, Dr Rassie Erasmus, the mastermind behind our winning ways, brought a highly evolved leadership EQ to his role. Emotional Quotient, or emotional intelligence, is the ability to know, understand and manage your emotions positively.

It’s the key to remaining calm, communicating effectively, showing empathy, inspiring others, and overcoming obstacles.

Dr Rassie showed awareness of his strengths and limitations and managed his decision-making when behind in knockout matches. He showed his players compassion and understanding of their needs and inspired them to dig deep and win.

Emotionally intelligent leadership has starred at the World Cup, but it’s just as important to the success of our organisations. Both environments require leaders to be authentic, foster genuine connections, and unleash the real magic in their people.

New Generations Embrace EQ

Michelle King, author of “How Work Works: The Subtle Science of Getting Ahead Without Losing Yourself,” brought more than 20 years of research into navigating corporate culture and effective leadership.

She found up to 75% of career and leadership success was due to advanced social and emotional skills. It makes sense because employees want to be understood and engaged, and leaders who express high EQ are favoured and enjoy better results.

Emotional intelligent leadership practices are the key to getting the best out of your employees. This is only going to become truer as younger generations, supportive of this approach, fill our workforce.

Build a Supportive Culture

So, how do we use this to build an organisational culture rich in EQ and achieve our inspiring victory in the process?

We must encourage self-awareness throughout the business to pave the way for healthier interactions. We must also promote empathy to help employees see things from alternative perspectives. And we must allow open communication with a safe space for people to speak their minds.

Dr Rassie took a holistic approach to creating an emotionally intelligent culture and created alignment camps. These gatherings focused on helping everyone understand each other at a deep level.

This process enhanced team communication and helped them function as one effective World Cup-winning unit.

Develop Your Leadership EQ with Coaching

The fruits of embedding emotionally intelligent leadership practices into your business include efficient conflict resolution, enhanced communication, a more resilient team DNA and a measurable increase in performance.

Executive Coaching supports this by helping leaders develop 4 critical aspects of EQ. These include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management skills.

Leadership development initiatives extend to the broader organisation with Team Effectiveness Coaching and Group Coaching. These can create a culture that empowers employees to support their emotionally intelligent leaders.

We’ve seen how Leadership EQ can win world cups; now it’s your turn to create a thriving, high-performance organisation and achieve your record-breaking victory.

As a leading provider with over 25 years of experience coaching leaders in blue-chip companies and government, Change Partners is perfectly positioned to help you advance

Willie Snyman is an International Executive Coach at Change Partners with a wealth of experience in business and leadership development. He’s passionate about helping leaders go from coping to a life of significance, success, and happiness. Contact him at williesnyman@change.co.za or on 082 456 1418 to help you and your team unlock life-changing levels of performance.