What do you need to become a great leader ?
Is it Intelligence Quotient which we term as IQ or is it emotional quotient which we term as EQ ?
You cannot create a great company or a state or a country without great leadership. A lot of execs term themselves as leaders since they forget that unlike management which is a position you hold in an office, leadership is not position or designation but it has more to do with capability to influence others to follow your direction. Broadly we can define leadership in 2 categories, IQ based and EQ based.
The IQ based leaders will always talk about expansion, scaling up, acquisitions, talk mainly on tactical or technical terms , takes decision based in his position in market or thinking about monetary gains. The EQ based leaders will always talk about vision and mission, talk generously about his employees and customers every time, through their talks and action they will always leave an impact on you emotionally. In every talk or interview or townhall they will practice empathy and some shows extreme humility as well. In his book “Emotional Intelligence " renowned psychologist Daniel Goleman mentioned how EQ dominates even IQ. He also did extensive research on this subject to conclude in an Harvard article the following and I quote, "The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way, they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as EQ. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They do matter, but they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions. My research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without it a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas but he still won’t make a great leader “
Some great examples of leaders with high EQ are Gandhi, Herb Kelleher, Richard Branson, Jim Senegal, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Dr. Martin Luther King, Elon Musk, Bob Chapman, Robert Townsend, Howard Schultz, Narendra Modi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Ratan Tata. There are too many to cover. ,
For some people who are born leaders, EQ comes naturally however it does not mean that you cannot learn, practice and master it. If you want to get better in EQ, start practicing self regulation first. You can try doing meditation, build patience to listen more than talk, listen more than hearing, practice empathy at work with your people. Take interest in your employee's personal life and issues, articulate your expectation and mission clearly in simple words so that from a CEO to a janitor everyone shall understand the message. Serve your people as opposed to commanding them.
All the best....
Watch this on You Tube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX8KAfOnB_E