There is no single definition of leadership, but to sum up, it is the art of inspiring people to achieve a goal.
It is therefore legitimate to ask what inspires people to follow a leader in achieving a goal. Several things, but the universal key lies in trust and the feeling of security. Without trust, it is unlikely that anyone will give their best to another person.
What is the link between leadership, emotional intelligence, and trust?
Demonstrating emotional intelligence in leadership allows for the development of a "conscious" leadership, characterized by the ability to practice introspection and act mindfully. In the face of adversity, the conscious leader remains connected to their instincts and values, which allows them not to react under the influence of their emotions or defense mechanisms.
The "superpower" of the conscious leader is their emotional intelligence. This ability to understand and manage their emotions allows them to remain authentic and inspire the trust of their collaborators. This power also includes the ability to recognize and influence the emotions of others. Faced with an empathetic leader, collaborators feel understood and, once again, more confident.
Let's examine how the components of emotional intelligence inspire trust in a leadership context.
Self-awareness
A conscious leader has the ability to recognize their emotions and their effects on their performance and that of their team. This is the foundation of emotional intelligence.
Not understanding one's emotions means being at their mercy. When our emotions and defense mechanisms govern our behaviors, we are no longer masters of our choices, and it becomes more difficult to act as the leader we truly want to be, according to our will and values.
An example would be valuing autonomy and mistakes, but becoming overly controlling and criticizing every error under pressure. If my values push me to say one thing, but my actions under pressure contradict them, it lacks authenticity and engenders mistrust and insecurity: a lack of trust.
The lack of pride is a clear sign of inconsistency between our values and actions. No leader is proud of letting anger take over, falling into excessive control, or staying silent to avoid conflict. These behaviors are not voluntary choices but reflexive defenses.
I often use the example of a job interview: if you don't dare tell a candidate how you act under pressure, it's because these behaviors are not choices of will. Who would admit in an interview to being overly controlling, demanding perfection, or procrastinating in the face of ambiguity or pressure?
Emotional reactions stemming from our defense mechanisms breed mistrust, create insecurity, and hinder leadership. If we avoid exposing them in interviews for fear of scaring off candidates, we must realize that these reactions inspire the same "flight" reflex in collaborators at work. To our defense, we are not always aware.
This is why, to develop conscious and inspiring leadership, it is essential to understand our emotions so as not to let them take control. This allows us to become the leader we want to be, to act authentically, and to align our words and actions, even under pressure, to strengthen the trust of others.
Self-regulation
Self-regulation is the ability to manage one's emotions, which is part of emotional intelligence, especially in stressful situations. Once aware of our emotions, it is crucial to learn to control them, especially in a leadership role, as they can contaminate or unsettle others. If the captain is stressed, the crew will be too.
The leader's negative emotions do not aid in achieving goals since they activate the defense mechanisms of collaborators (which amounts to moving forward with one foot on the brake).
Emotions also play a key role in communication, an essential leadership skill. If 93% of communication is non-verbal, it's easy to understand that, to inspire others, mastering the non-verbal expression of our emotions is crucial. As trust is built on the alignment of our actions and words, consistency between what we say and what our body expresses is fundamental.
Saying everything will be fine while our fears seep through our pores or saying there's no problem while our face shows anger does not invite trust.
Social Awareness
While it is important to understand and manage one's emotions, it is equally important to recognize and understand the emotions of others. Empathy is essential for inspiring leadership and creating the best experiences.
Once we, as leaders, understand the functioning of our emotions, their impact on our actions, and how to better control them, we will be able to help others do the same, thus optimizing goal achievement. Fear is the main obstacle to embracing change and challenges. To inspire people to follow us in contexts of change and challenges, it is essential to help them overcome their fears and manage their emotions.
Conclusion
Understanding and mastering one's emotions allows for inspiring others and optimizing leadership. Without this, our actions or non-verbal language may not align with our words, which will not motivate others to trust us, follow us, or give their best.
It is also crucial to support others in developing their emotional intelligence to enhance their ability to accept change and better face adversity.
I often say that for a leader, it's fundamental to answer two questions: What do I tend to do that may unsettle my collaborators? What can I do to contribute to their sense of security? Without a sense of security, there is no trust, and without trust, there is no inspiring leadership.