Five Reasons Start Ups Need Emotional Intelligent Leaders

On a regular basis I seek new information on Emotional Intelligence (EI) and how it can enhance the success of entrepreneurs. Recently I ran across data published by the prestigious consulting firm The Hay Group. In that study they sited five specific findings on how EI directly impacted performance in a very positive way, in very different circumstances:

· Software Developers, with high EI levels, were 300 percent more effective and faster than others

· Salespeople, with EI training, delivered twice as many sales as others

· Turnover among first year sales people was cut in half

· Consultants, with EI training, delivered 139 percent more profit than those without it

· Oil Refinery managers, with EI training, were 20 percent more productive, over a 2 year period than their peers without such training

This is a familiar story with a different cover. Over and over we see how Emotional Intelligence (EI) and especially EI among leaders, positively impacts performance. It is evident that EI is a foundation skill necessary to effective leadership and certainly leadership is critical to the success of any business start up.

While effective leadership styles are not always the same, there is a common thread that runs through each of them-Emotional Self Awareness. Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership theory proposed 4 separate styles that may be used to meet different situational needs and all but one rest of a foundation of Emotional Self Awareness. The four leadership styles sited by Hersey and Blanchard are Participating, Selling, Telling and Delegating. All but the Telling style rest upon a bedrock of Emotional Self Awareness.

Whether you are leading a new venture or simply a new project, there is one thing is one thing of which you can be certain; You can be more effective and your leaders can be more effective by developing a high level of emotional awareness in self and in others. So, possibly an important question is; How do I begin to become more aware of my own emotions? The answer is both simple and easy. Take an assessment of your own skill level and invite others to evaluate your emotional skills, to begin.

There are many Self Assessment tools and a lesser number of EI 360 tools but if you are serious about becoming a better leader or developing your leadership potential, Target Training International (TTI) and Multiple Health System (MHS) both have EI assessment tools that are very good for different reasons. The TTI, EQ is fast, inexpensive and accurate, while the MHS EQi is more in depth and highly validated. Asking other to evaluate your EI skills is best done through 360 assessments and the MHS EQ 360 is, by far, the most widely used and accepted. Regardless of what tool you use, remember Emotional Intelligence and powerful leadership begins with understanding your own emotions and you cannot effectively understand others or lead them without first, understanding self.

So, in summary, there are many good reasons to ramp up emotional intelligence in your organization (we sited just 5). Start ups are particularly influenced by the quality of leadership. Leadership is dependent upon a foundation of self-awareness and self-awareness begins with self evaluation. To make the leap from manager to leader advance your awareness of self.

GMS Talent L P is Texas' Training and Certification Center for the most popular and highly validated Emotional Intelligence assessment tool, in the world, the EQi. For information on Training and Certification on the EQi, email EI4U@me.com Or call us at 1-866-344-8669.