As our reliance on digital technologies grows and changes fundamental aspects of many roles, emotional intelligence will become even more critical in the workplace and especially for leaders– a point agreed with by 74% of executives in the UK, EU and Asia, according to Capgemini research.
Without emotionally intelligent leaders, organisations can flounder amid poor communication and even worse decision-making. That’s why we believe identifying such leaders is what underpins successful executive searches. Let’s explore what EI means for leaders and how to identify it.
EI is arguably a commonplace term, at least in HR circles, but what does it really mean? In an executive context, it’s useful to break it down:
Self-awareness: The ability to recognise and understand your own emotions, moods, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. Self-aware individuals are conscious of how their feelings and behaviours impact themselves and others.
Self-regulation or self-management: Related to self-awareness, self-regulation refers to effectively controlling your emotions and impulses – and importantly, how you react to situations. Being self-regulated means you’ve learned ways to remain calm under pressure, adapt to changing situations, and refrain from acting in the heat of the moment.
Empathy: The skill to understand and relate to others’ emotions, perspectives, and experiences. With empathy, you can demonstrate compassion, kindness, and sensitivity towards others' feelings.
Social skills: This aspect of EI refers to your ability to build and maintain positive relationships, communicate effectively, and work well in teams. Socially skills allow you to negotiate, resolve conflicts and build social networks.
Motivation: The drive and resilience to pursue goals with energy and persistence, despite obstacles and setbacks. With high levels of motivation, you are passionate, optimistic, and committed to your success and that of your team.
Bringing all these traits together, it’s easy to see how executives with emotional intelligence are excellent communicators. Leaders with EI show that they can make fair decisions under pressure.
In short, emotionally intelligent executives are identifiable by their ability to build strong relationships and motivate their teams.
If you’re familiar with the adage, ‘people quit managers, not companies’, you may draw a link between executive emotional intelligence and the culture, sentiment and overall efficacy of a workplace. Indeed, multiple studies highlight the correlation between EI and employee engagement, productivity, and retention.
A recent EY survey on empathy in leadership found that 85% of respondents reported increased productivity among employees and 78% observed reduced employee turnover. Other research has suggested employees are likely to stay 2.5 years longer at their organisation when their leader is empathetic and are twice as likely to have above-average engagement.
The good news about EI for executives is that it’s not a fixed trait – it can be developed over time. Devoting resources to identifying EI during executive searches (more on that below) and coaching current and potential leaders within your organisation can provide measurable long-term payoffs.
Identifying EI in leadership candidates is instrumental to executive search recruitment. Beyond technical skills and background, a successful search is not complete without consideration of how a candidate applies their EI in everyday workplace scenarios.
Emotional intelligence assessment involves two broad approaches. One involves using tools such as self-report questionnaires, behavioural assessments, or situational judgment tests tailored to evaluate various aspects of EI.
The other approach involves a careful review of the candidate’s CV, a comprehensive round of interviews and thorough reference checks to uncover an executive’s performance in their previous roles.
Here at Melium, we are uniquely equipped to identify executive emotional intelligence (EI) using our S-CAP model.
Search Tools: With over 20 years of experience in the executive search market, we use tools to meticulously analyse candidates' backgrounds, experiences, and behavioural indicators, ensuring that EI is a focal point in our candidate selection process.
Consultancy Services: Our extensive consultancy network comprises seasoned professionals who specialise in assessing and identifying focus areas to cultivate a performance-driven culture within organisations. Through in-depth assessments and tailored recommendations, we help clients recognise the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership roles and develop strategies to nurture and leverage EI among their executive teams.
Alliance Partnerships: Collaborating with industry thought leaders and subject matter experts, our alliance partnerships provide business-critical insights. By staying ahead of emerging trends and industry benchmarks, we ensure our approach to identifying EI in leadership candidates remains relevant and insightful.
Want to learn more about emotional intelligence for executives, and how to cultivate and identify it? Contact us today to work with a true talent partner. Providing executive search and consulting expertise across the UK and EU (Benelux), Melium enables manufacturing, supply chain and commercial transformation experts to deliver exceptional growth.