Get your head (and your heart) in the leadership game with EQ

How about a virtual hand raise if a coach from your past ever yelled, “Hey (insert your last name here), get your head in the game!” (Or maybe you were the coach sharing this insightful tip.)

While the phrase can help distracted players refocus their energy, it is also a great self-talk reminder for leaders.  Say what? I’m talking about dialing up your EQ or emotional intelligence by being deliberate with the vibe or energy you create for the people you lead.

Studies show that leaders with high EQ create “psychological safety zones” in which people do their best work. Google’s well known Aristotle project confirms this finding and further builds on the pioneering work of Harvard's Amy Edmonson and BlueEQ™.

Most importantly, EQ is a measure of the psychological safety you create for others. It can range from extremely inspiring, warm, and inviting at one end to completely disengaging, cold, and repelling at the other. A high EQ leader accelerates performance, fosters innovation, expands engagement, and inspires loyalty.  A low EQ leader – well, you get the idea.

Psychological safety is a key feature in strong company cultures and No.4 in our Top Ten List for Making Your Company Culture Count.

5 questions leaders should ask themselves about psychological safety

Now, how do we know what type of psychological safety zone we create?  Here’s a quick self-assessment to get you started.  Ask yourself the following 5 questions:

1. Do people believe they can trust me?
2. Do people open up and express their honest thoughts and feelings around me or are they guarded, stressed and withdrawn?
3. Do people believe that I have a genuine interest in them?
4. Do people want my feedback?
5. Am I comfortable allowing people to challenge me?

This simple self-reflection can begin to provide you with insight into the current “zone” you create.

Want to know more?  Below are links to articles and webinars on psychological safety. We also offer a self-assessment and workshop called BlueEQ that can help you continue your journey to developing your emotional intelligence and creating psychological safety zones to help your team do their best work and truly get their heads – and their hearts –  into the game.