Self-management is the ability to manage your emotional reactions to situations or people . Self-management includes being flexible and willing to adapt to new conditions , being honest about the emotions and feelings you are experiencing , and taking ownership and control of your emotional response . Leaders with strong self-management often appear to be achievement-oriented and are confident in taking initiative to independently achieve goals . To effectively practice emotional self-management , recognize your emotional “ hot buttons ” so when they are triggered , you can respond in a more thoughtful and controlled fashion . Self-management also includes the characteristic of optimism - being likely to “ look on the bright side ” of life . During moments of distress , do not allow yourself to brood or panic . We can ’ t control everything that happens to us , but we can take ownership of how we respond . Remember , for leaders , expressing optimism and positivity isn ’ t naïve - it ’ s what inspirational leadership looks like in action . Social Awareness is the ability to express empathy , form connections with others , and accurately understand and acknowledge the emotions of others .
This skill can be sharpened by paying close attention to non-verbal cues . Since our current reality includes wearing masks and face coverings , we are unable to rely on facial expressions - one of our typical sources of non-verbal cues . In the absence of facial expressions , tune in to a person ’ s tone of voice and body language for emotional clues . For leaders , social awareness also includes the skill of organizational awareness , which is the ability to explain yourself well , read a group ’ s emotional currents , and sense the comprehension level of your audience . To test your social awareness , see if you can identify the “ influencers ” in your organization - those who may not hold formal positions of power , but who impact the behavior of others through “ peer pressure ” as a role model or informal leader .
Relationship Management is often the result of developing the other three skills identified above . It also includes the skills of influence , change leadership , and conflict management . Leaders can demonstrate their relationship management skills through their willingness to work with others to develop their strengths and their ability to effectively coach their team members to improve . Relationship management also requires a leader to “ walk the talk ”. Acknowledge that as a leader , you are called upon to be an agent of positive change . When you make a mistake , forgive yourself for it and face it head on . Apologize and do what it takes to make things right .
Finally , remember that emotions are simply data . They are valuable information that can help you see things from a different perspective , understand yourself better and ultimately , make better leadership decisions . The events and challenges of 2020 may have revealed some gaps or blind spots in this area of leadership development , but it is worth practicing . Developing emotional intelligence can improve psychological well-being for ourselves and for the people around us . Want to learn more ? Check out LeadDev Competency 1.3 : Self Awareness for more training and resources . G
Katin Keirstead is the Planet Fitness senior director of operations systems . Keirstead can be reached at katin . keirstead @ pfhq . com or 603-498-9818 .
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GearedUp | 2020 Issue 4
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