The 13 “P” Requisites for Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

The 13 "P" Requisites

for

Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

 

Michael Pryke, Managing Partner, EQ IMPACT

 

Standing at the fore-front of subservient workers, the leader of yesteryear inspired devotion, hard work and obedience to the corporate cause. As powerful and admirable as they may have been, these leaders would struggle to survive in the cut and thrust of today's business world. Characterised by virtuous intent and inspirational rhetoric, they would be out-witted, out-maneuvered and out-paced in a world of zealously driven and intellectually superior wealth seekers. This new breed of employee, bestowed with youth, mobility and technical prowess requires an adapted style of leadership – a leadership which draws heavily on 13 "P" requisites for emotionally intelligent leadership.

 

"There is such a strong correlation between leadership success and emotional intelligence that focusing leaders' efforts on the important aspects of EQ has delivered truly outstanding results," says Michael Pryke, former corporate MD who now coaches business executives and organisational leaders. He has distilled the 13 "P" requisites from the myriad of leadership "must haves" to help his clients focus on the essentials for leadership success

 

1.      The central core of this new leadership paradigm is Personal Awareness, the essential pre-requisite for emotional intelligence. Knowing one's self and being consciously aware of one's humanity is pivotal to the functioning of our knowing, thinking and feeling horizons. A deep awareness of our identity and beliefs plus an understanding of their impact on our perceptions is the primary driving force within every leader. It defines our very existence and purpose in life and adds meaning to our self-image and values. It provides the catalyst for the actualisation of our capabilities and competencies. An enhanced degree of self-awareness is one of the most significant determinants of leadership success.

2.      Radiating outwards from the central axis of Personal Awareness, like the supporting spokes of a wheel, are a further 12 "P" requisites which impact upon leadership competence in our business world of nano-second response and complexity. The new-age leader needs to be hugely People-oriented. Leaders who put strategy before people invariably fail. The cover article in Fortune magazine's June 1999 edition, entitled "Why CEO's Fail" highlights that successful CEO's are those who are people-oriented; they concentrate on trust-building behaviour, effective communication, and people acumen. This includes social skills such as assertiveness, conflict management and building strong relationships. Their emphasis on empathy, inspiration and motivation of their people, ahead of traditional bottom-line drivers ensures their longevity as leaders as well as the success of their organisations.

3.      Leaders who fail to seek constant improvement soon become extinct. They must be Progressive. As champions of change, today's leaders continuously inspire others to challenge the obvious by promoting initiative and "out-of-the-box" thinking. Innovation and experimentation are their credo. Being a change champion and challenging people to move out of their comfort zones requires emotional courage. Whilst many leaders might lack the flair of Sir Richard Branson, they share a common belief in the promotion of change as a necessity for renewal and sustainability. 

4.      New leaders are Persistent. They are resilient under pressure and quickly recover from setbacks. Unlike many who would see misfortune and mistakes as failure, they view them as powerful learning experiences. Indeed, they relish the challenge of trying again and again in the sure knowledge that they will ultimately be rewarded. This persistence is visible and becomes infectious within their teams who, in turn, are inspired to greater effort and energy. Aware of the folly in expecting different results from persisting with the same strategies, the persistent leader knows when to back off, re-evaluate and apply amended tactics as appropriate.

5.      They are Principled. Characterised by advanced levels of integrity, emotionally intelligent leaders are truthful and trustworthy. Ever respectful of others in every station of life, they acknowledge that principles are the building blocks of society. It is common for them to expect their people to uphold similar principles and uncompromising ethics in all their personal and business dealings. If absolute trust is their watchword, then surely the acronym Tolerance, Respect, Unselfishness, Sincerity and Time has equal significance.

6.      Being emotionally intelligent does not negate the leader's need for planning and strategy. However, what sets emotionally intelligent leaders apart from ordinary strategists is their ability to combine the influences of their emotional wisdom with their contemplative and cognitive competencies. Hence, they are highly Perspicacious. They are insightful and allow emotional clues to add meaning and depth to their thinking and planning. Furthermore, they are ever mindful of the human aspects of their plans, knowing that their plans will have an impact on the behaviour and performance of their people and therefore their willingness to implement the strategies.

7.      No true leaders lead from behind – they know the value of leading by example - of being Participative. A leader's willingness to share the load and participate in activities with the team demonstrates that they are not above getting their hands dirty. It keeps them in touch with the realities of the challenges in the workplace and allows their humility to shine as a beacon of hope when times are tough. A participative leader embodies all that is positive in the principle of catching people doing things right.

8.      Emotionally intelligent leadership demands Presence. Notwithstanding the impact of physical presence, new leaders are required to be "present" in every sense, including mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Truly authentic in their intentions, these leaders are engaging and attentive listeners. They display active patience when others are talking and encourage contribution with their genuine show of interest. They are attentive and acknowledge the input from their team members. The emphasis of this powerful leadership trait is undivided "one-ness" when engaging with their people.

9.      Never before has the need for human development been more relevant. Today's leaders embody a Passion for Growth. They are fiercely keen to develop both themselves and their people. Furthermore, they become actively involved in sharing their leadership talent by taking on the role of mentor to emerging leaders within the organisation. The growing and mentoring of team members has become recognised as one of the hallmarks of outstanding leadership.

10.  Seeing beyond the immediately visible in order to detect the real feelings of others requires that leaders become Perceptive. They need to use all their senses to uncover that which may be unspoken. They enquire at a deeper level to ensure an intimate understanding of the real motives behind people's actions and behaviour. Whether one-on-one or in a group environment they detect the true sentiments so that they are better equipped to respond to people with heightened sensitivity and interpersonal awareness. 

11.  Being a powerful and compelling communicator turns every message into a memorable performance. This helps people in organisations understand and retain important information. The role of the new leader as a Presenter is another essential competency for leadership success and healthy organisational dynamics. The presenter ensures that team and organisational strategies are understood, bought into and implemented by all participants.

12.  New leaders are Positive and recognise the enormous power of optimism. In his international best-seller "Learned Optimism", Dr Martin Seligmann provides conclusive evidence that optimistic expectations lead to significantly enhanced performance and outcomes. Having a positive outlook has provided a statistically measurable improvement in the results for both individuals and teams. The language used by positive leaders, as analysed from American Presidential speeches, has even had positive impact on the mindset of an entire nation.

13.  Finally, emotionally intelligent leaders have Purpose. Their visionary outlook ensures that they and their people find meaning in their individual and combined efforts. Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychologist incarcerated at Auschwitz with his fellow Jews recounts in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning", that those who survived had something significant yet to achieve – they had purpose. Today's leaders not only have a clear sense of their purpose but they also cascade this purpose into every niche of the organisation.      They create a common foundation for success within the mind of each individual with whom they have contact; in the spirit of truly emotionally intelligent leadership this means they touch the lives of every single person on whom their leadership impacts.           

 

Ongoing research into EQ continues to reinforce its enormous importance in all aspects of human success. The correlation between EQ and leadership is now focusing increasing attention on to those factors which produce emotionally intelligent leaders. The 13 "P" requisites for emotionally intelligent leadership provide leaders with an essential route map to guide them along this courageous journey.                                                                                                                                         

Regards!

Neeraj Bhardwaj          +919725479188         +919924711714

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