9 Signs of Emotional Intelligence in Business Leaders Who Are Successful in Their Industry

What are the habits that set successful high-EQ people apart from those around them?

The impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) on entrepreneurial and professional success cannot be overemphasized. Those who are skilled in EQ can better focus their energy in one direction. They have resiliency in the face of setbacks and they are ultimately the ones who achieve results. In fact according to one study ( https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/01/09/emotional-intelligence/ ) , the 90% of top performers are high in emotional intelligence, and high EQ people make on average $29,000 more per year than people with a low level of emotional intelligence.

However, while emotional intelligence may be an undisputed driver of success, not always is it fully understood. EQ is much more than emotional awareness; it's a wellspring of action that impacts every facet of life. The more we understand ourselves and those around us, our strengths and weaknesses, our zone of control versus those areas that are not in our hands, the easier it becomes to make healthy, balanced choices-- in life and in business. Our level of EQ thus empowers our ability to make personal decisions that lead to positive and successful results.

Entrepreneurs and business professionals who make it a habit of not only leveraging their EQ, but continually striving to strengthen and grow it, are generally the ones who can translate this knowledge into business success.

9 Habits of Successful High-EQ Business Leaders

That said, below are 9 habits of successful high-EQ people. While not everyone with high-EQ may follow every single habit, they will be doing most of them-- whether consciously or unconsciously.

1a. They Work to Stay Positive, Part 1
The more we ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power we give them to hold us hostage. High-EQ people are generally in a positive frame of mind. It doesn't mean that these individuals don't get a little depressed every now and then or have negative thoughts. It means that people with healthy emotional intelligence, put limits on those negative ruminations.

At some point, they just brush themselves off and move forward. Given that a person struggles to have more than one thought at a time ( https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/1655/is-it-possible-to-run-multiple-thought-processes-concurrently ) , high-EQ people make the effort to fill their minds with positive thoughts, such as the goodness in their lives and on those areas that are within their control. Should that be hard to do at any point, they enlist the help of others to stay focused and accountable to their own goals.

1b. They Work to Stay Positive, Part 2
They are also in touch with their inner voice. Whenever they catch themselves in a cycle of negative self-talk, they know how to stop it. Sometimes they may try to look at the situation objectively, since most negative thoughts are subjective perception, not necessarily based on objective facts. Other times, they may simply ignore it and instead focusing on positive ideas or activities.

2. They “Speak” to Themselves
All people experience emotions, but it is a select few who can accurately identify them as they occur. Since the source of unidentified emotions can easily be misunderstood, it can lead to irrational choices and counterproductive behaviors. People with high EQs master their emotions because they understand them and where they are stemming from. They have a better insight into exactly how they are feeling, what caused it, and what they should do about it.

And, they continually check in with themselves. Consider this famous quote from the late Steve Jobs:

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? ' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

3. They Take Care of Themselves
Successful high-EQ people know that they can't function at an optimal level if they are chronically neglecting their personal needs. At some point, it will catch up with them.

There are four main areas of focus in the realm of personal care:

• Physical. The combination of adequate sleep, balanced nutrition and consistent exercise will literally do wonders ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32021199/ ) for your health, your sense of happiness and your ability to live a productive life. Obviously, what constitutes a healthy balance within and between these three factors will vary from person to person. The most important thing is to make the effort to both find it and live it.

• Emotional. Everyone needs down time-- a time to disconnect, recharge and process what has been happening in their personal and professional lives. High-EQ people take breaks and vacations when needed. This is important for all personalities, but even more so for extroverted people who may not automatically take the time to really think about their experiences.

• Intellectual. High-EQ constantly invest in themselves to keep themselves motivated and their talents and skill-sets fresh. They understand that they need to continually develop their skills and increase their knowledge-base.

• Social. They work time with family, friends, and peers into their schedules and the make a real effort to stick to these social commitments.

4. They Continually Work on Themselves
Having a high EQ does not mean perfection or being completely “worked out” and emotionally balanced. Many of the most successful and celebrated people have negative traits and habits that are well-known.

High EQ people can also possess a range of personality types, characteristics, backgrounds and quirks. These individuals are aware of who they are and what they have to offer to the world. They recognize that those around them also have such unique gifts.

At the same time they are honest with themselves regarding their weaknesses and shortcomings. Either they make the effort to improve themselves or they implement strategies to compensate for their limitations.

5. They are Open to Communication
High-EQ professionals and leaders are reachable. They make it a point to regularly touch base with their employees, business partners and customers. The goal of these conversations and other exchanges is to get a sense of where these groups are holding. Are there any obstacles that need to be cleared? Are disagreements cropping up? What are the levels of motivation and engagement?

By making themselves available to others, they can often stop budding problems or roadblocks before they do damage.

6. They Learn from Others
Following on the heels of the point above, high-EQ people tend to listen more than they speak. They listen because by doing so, they get a chance to see and learn things they would have easily missed. As Richard Branson famously said, “Listening enables us to learn from each other, from the marketplace, and from the mistake that must be made in order to get anywhere that is original and disruptive.”

7. They Give Credit Where Credit is Due
High-EQ individuals will shine a spotlight on the contributions and talents of the people they work with because that which gets recognition gets repeated ( https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329519715_A_Study_on_the_Impact_of_Rewards_and_Recognition_on_Employee_Motivation ) . Acts of appreciation, such as warm, encouraging words, a public announcement, opportunities for advancement, perks and other rewards for performance, can help to drive loyalty, engagement and productivity.

8. They Value Their Time
They say “no” to almost everything. As Warren Buffet once quipped, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.” There are only so many hours in a day, and successful high-EQ people don’t give them away so easily.

9. They Take Smart Risks
Research suggests ( https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227660026_Entrepreneurship_and_Risk_Taking ) that successful business leaders and entrepreneurs are not more inclined to taking risks than other people. Contrary to popular belief, success isn't about taking risks, it's about taking calculated risks. This means, while the most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders excel at discovering the biggest opportunities, their real talent lies in their ability to then validate and approach these opportunities in the least riskiest way.

In short, successful high-EQ individuals recognize that the path to personal success doesn't depend on others. They must take responsibility for their own decisions. Focusing on the behaviors and actions that help them leverage their emotional intelligence is a natural step in that direction. Such habits will help them make their business ideas come to fruition and encourage those around them to perform their very best.
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Name: Robert Moment
Email: Robert@HighEmotionalIntelligence.com
Website: www.HighEmotionalIntelligence.com
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State: Virginia

About the Author

Robert Moment is an experienced ICF Certified Social + Emotional Intelligence Coach and ICF Certified Executive Coach, Trainer, Speaker and Author of the bestselling book, High Emotional Intelligence for Managers . He is also a Certified Diversity and Inclusion Specialist.
Robert specializes in solving workplace communication, management, leadership and employee problems using emotional intelligence coaching and training solutions for sustainable peak performance with guaranteed profitable results.
Robert is Certified to deliver The Social + Emotional Intelligence Profile-Self (SEIP) ® Assessment, the most comprehensive, scientifically validated, and statistically reliable instrument on the market and review the results with clients and create a comprehensive developmental action plan. This includes the self and 360-versions as well as workplace and adult editions.

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