Helping Leaders Grow Empathy with Emotional Intelligence 2.0

When I choose books for Leadership Reads, I pick books that pertain to what I am seeing in the leaders that I coach and train. This month’s book is Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves.

There are so many competent leaders who have a plethora of skills in processing, detailing, and getting tasks done. They get results. No one can deny that they are smart in the IQ kind of way but oftentimes it is the not enough to be completely successful at their jobs. Scientists realized there must be more than IQ and started to study what else was needed in the workplace. They discovered something called Emotional Intelligence. The notion of EQ grew in popularity during the 1990s and still is very relevant today.

Leaders need to have two things to be successful; competence and empathy. Competence is defined by the skills you need to have to do the job you are assigned. Empathy is understanding the emotions that help leaders connect to others and to understand their own emotions.

According to TalentSmart, the company that worked with the authors of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 to develop the test in the book, they have discovered some fascinating facts about EQ. They have tested over 500,000 people. Here are some key findings:

EQ tends to increase with age.
Even with the increased awareness of EQ, only 36% of those tested can identify their emotions as they happen.
We have emotional reactions to almost everything we experience throughout the day.

Emotional Intelligence is divided into 4 categories; Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. The great thing about this book is that it gives leaders strategies in each area so that they can improve their EQ skills.

I picked this book up in 2015, took the test, and my scores were in the low 70s. I retook the test last week and now am in the 80s. Applying the skills in the book, I was able to increase my EQ skills.

I would encourage leaders to pick up Emotional Intelligence 2.0, take the test and try some of the strategies to improve their EQ. If you would like to engage with other leaders who are reading along with us, Leadership Reads is March 19 at 7:15 AM. We would love to have you join us!