EQ Is The New MBA

The last 18 months altered leadership communications forever

In the “time before,” strong leaders were effective, strategic and results-oriented. They led with strength and experience and watched profits and losses carefully.

Post-pandemic, top managers are in the spotlight because when bad things happen, everyone looks to the “leader”. Day-to-day deliverables and short-term objectives become meaningless. Teams need information - and lots of it. They need reassurance and they need support. And that’s why today’s best leaders communicate empathy and understanding.

How are your people feeling? What is their state of mind? What is taking their attention? What do they need to survive and succeed? Far more important than demographics, do you truly understand the psychographics of your teams?

For families, the ongoing challenge to balance work and the needs of kids has critically altered the work environment. Work hours need to be more flexible as WFH distractions are testing attention spans. In my home, my workday went from a dedicated 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to a manic 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. with breaks all through the day to help my kids transition from an online class to snack time and back again; both on different school schedules.

For BIPOC communities, the stress of the pandemic and tragic events in 2020 disproportionally affected their families and communities. And the emotional wounds have not yet healed. We continue to witness acts of hate against new Canadians and uncover evidence of old acts of hate against First Nations people.

So how does a strong leader provide comfort, stability, and support now, when your people need you most?

In a recent report from CEMS, empathy, communication, and resilience top the list of the fastest-rising leadership traits, replacing technical skills and authority. The study also noted that “Leaders who respond to crises with creativity and agility, taking their customers and workforce along with them, are the ones who will thrive post-Covid-19.”

 

 
Empathy, the ability to communicate with authenticity and resilience, all part of one’s EQ, are not easily taught - but they can be learned, with practice. These “effective skills” will define positive leadership going forward and there are many ways to show you care. Here are a few examples from Kaiser & Partners:
 

As we emerge from this recent pandemic, all business leaders are being judged – not just on how their businesses performed financially, but on how they led - and communicated, to their most important stakeholders. Employee retention numbers will be the marker of success.

Finally, let’s remember that a century ago, North America rallied with one of its strongest economic periods on record. If the Roaring 20s are on the horizon once again, the “effective-skills” leaders and the teams and organizations they lead, will be the ones who will fully reap the rewards of an economic upturn – and build the muscles to weather future challenges.