How Women of Color Can Leverage Emotional Intelligence To Level Up As Leaders
The importance of emotional intelligence has been gaining prominence in the corporate management world, and women of color can benefit from leveraging their emotional intelligence to level up as leaders. Emotional intelligence consists of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, which are all necessary for successful leadership.
Self-Awareness
Women of color can successfully use self-awareness to help navigate the diverse terrain of race, gender and class. Self-awareness allows them to recognize any biases they may have, identify strengths, and better understand their emotions. It is also beneficial for leaders to understand their passions, goals, underlying assumptions and values.
Self-Regulation
Self-regulation is also a major component of emotional intelligence. Women of color can use self-regulation to regain control over difficult situations, think objectively, and reflect on their decisions. This will help foster cultural humility which is extremely beneficial in the corporate world.
Motivation & Empathy
Women of color can also leverage motivation and empathy to become effective leaders. Motivation is necessary to set and reach goals, and empathy is important to understand and manage relationships. Having the ability to motivate and empathize with team members will help foster trust and better collaboration.
Social Skills
Finally, having a developed set of social skills is also integral for successful leadership. Women of color can use social skills to build strong relationships with team members, create networks, and excel in different areas.
The Benefits
Leveraging emotional intelligence will bring a slew of advantages to women of color leaders. It will allow them to better navigate difficult situations and create self-confidence. It will also help them to better understand and manage relationships, build networks and foster trust.
The Steps to Take
The following steps can help get started on the journey for increased emotional intelligence:
- Identify strengths and weaknesses: Take the time to reflection on areas of strengths and weaknesses and make writing daily reflections a habit.
- Create a development plan: Make a plan outlining any necessary skills, resources and support needed for personal growth.
- Reach out for help: Reach out for support from mentors, family or friends to help accelerate growth.
- Keep learning: Embrace the process of learning new things and build connections with people in different fields.
Using emotional intelligence is a key step towards becoming an successful leader, and women of color can benefit greatly from leveraging their emotional intelligence. Doing so will bring increased confidence, knowledge, and trust in the workplace.