You have probably heard of emotional intelligence (EI). The theme is increasingly relevant in a society full of challenges. Having emotional tools to deal with the most diverse scenarios in personal life is widely discussed, and equally important is using your resources in the corporate environment.
A survey conducted at HR First Class – one of the largest Human Resources events in Brazil – reveals that 76% of HR leaders want to implement corporate happiness programs in their organizations. However, putting this into practice ends up becoming a major challenge; whether due to the lack of engagement from leaders or even the scarcity of a genuinely human-centered organizational culture within corporations. Often there is the discourse; a coherent narrative, but in practice, there is no concern for people's emotional training, and this is a harsh reality in many companies.
Here I take the opportunity to highlight a very important factor: we all have EI; it is not necessary to acquire this skill, but rather to recognize it and develop it. It is an inexhaustible source; an energy that we can always renew and use to our advantage, but there are paths that assist us in this journey. This is where companies can step in as facilitators and as an inherent part of human development, and consequently the professional growth of their employees, supporting them and providing guidance, support, and conditions for the development of healthy work.
It is important to emphasize that Emotional Intelligence is above all the ability to manage emotions, but when we look at the corporate world and identify the deficit of this intelligence, we encounter numerous problems in the work environment. The leader in this context is essential, as they inspire and impact their team. When this professional has better-developed emotional skills, they can be admired and followed by others through a connection, and this definitely gives meaning to the relationship, making it prosperous and carrying within it the common purpose among the members of that group.
Leaders with emotional intelligence humanize relationships; understanding themselves as a fundamental part of problem-solving and company growth, but it is through their team that they become protagonists. These employees are free to propose ideas, suggest, admit mistakes, and ask for help because they know they will not be judged but supported for their development in an environment where they feel safe and capable. See, it doesn't mean that a leader doesn't have to achieve results or set goals, nor that they can't give negative feedback or even decide on a dismissal, but it means doing all of that in a way that respects the other's potential and individuality.
I emphasize that, in addition to everything we've reflected on so far, leaders must be the main encouragers within their teams to initiate this process of self-awareness, after all, it is an individual journey that precedes Emotional Intelligence. Self-knowledge allows us to know ourselves; just as we are; with all the good and bad within us. In this process, one of the most prominent intelligences is EI; we learn to recognize what lies behind our positive and negative emotions, where they come from, and how we behave, feel, and act through them – often unconsciously – that is, how we behave in the world with ourselves and others. It is necessary for leaders and followers to continue seeking these paths so that we can stop as soon as possible the absurd number of people with emotional and mental health problems stemming from work. We are all responsible for creating an environment outside and inside work where insanity is not greater than our ability to stop it.
