According to Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence distinguishes great leaders from merely good ones. He says that when a group of senior managers had the following key capabilities of emotional intelligence, their divisions outperformed earnings goals by 20%. These capabilities include:

• Self-awareness - the ability to know one’s own strengths, weaknesses, values and impacts on others
  
• Self-regulation - the ability to control or redirect disruptive moods or impulses
  
• Motivation - wanting to achieve something for its own sake
  
• Empathy - the ability to understand other people’s emotions
  
• Social Skills - building rapport and relationships with others to be able to move them in desired directions
  

Goleman says we are all born with certain levels of emotional intelligence, but we can strengthen these abilities through practice and persistence. The first three skills in emotional intelligence are self-management tools, while the last two are how people interact with others.

Goleman says that out of leaders with similar technical skills emotional intelligence was the skill that set them apart. It was their ability to deal and manage people, relate to them, create rapport with them, and motivate themselves as well as their employees that really created success. 

It was also their knowledge of themselves, their values and what makes them tick as well as their ability to regulate strong emotions in a way that balances things out.

I do agree with the author that people skills are a key component of the effectiveness of a leader as I believe the hallmark of a good leader is drawing people into your vision.

So where are you on the emotional intelligence scale? Are there any of the five skills listed above that you need to work on? If so what steps can you take in order to enhance that skill?

Building trust is a key skill set for any good leader. It is what leads to strong relationships. It is what allows for creativity and innovation. It inspires others to be better than what they already are. 

Trust in an organization is a key factor for growth, innovation, and creativity because when people in an organization trust their leaders they feel like they can take risks and know that their leaders will have their back. They feel like they can make mistakes and still have the encouragement of their leaders to try better next time. And they feel like they want to do better for their leaders because they know that they are going to be held accountable and rewarded for good work.

So what does it take for a leader to build trust within their organization?

Invest in building relationships - Relationships are the key to any thriving business whether it is building relationships with clients or building a team around you. It takes truly listening to what makes other people tick, what motivates them, and what inspires them. By truly listening, learning about and beginning to understand other people a leader can build trust with the people the people around them.

Hold Yourself and Others Accountable - Holding yourself accountable to what you say you are going to do and following through on your promises are two key components to building trust with others. It shows your character and integrity and that you value other people’s time and investment with you at your company. It shows them that they can depend on your word and that you are holding them to their word. Accountability is an integral part of building trust.

Look out for your people’s best interest - Encouraging their strengths, having their backs when outside influences could present some risks, knowing how to balance their weaknesses, and truly helping them rise to their potential builds trust. By truly looking out for others and giving to them as part of your team you will receive their dedication and loyalty in ways that you would not otherwise be able to do. 

Create Transparency - Being open and honest with your employees and organization about where you are headed, what is currently going on, and any issues that are arising allows the employees to feel part of the process and want to give more to the organization. It is a way for people to feel included, in the know, and understand where the leader is coming from and going. 

Are you implementing these strategies to build trust in your organization? Which ones could you begin to implement if you are not already?