Emotional intelligence or EQ isn’t just an attribute; it’s a set of skills that anyone can learn through proper training and practice. Emotionally intelligent leaders are better at building stronger relationships, having more positive interactions, and communicating clearly to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Want to build a community of emotionally intelligent leaders in your organization? Here are some suggestions on how to get started. 3 key traits of emotionally intelligent leadership Before you can build a community of emotionally intelligent leaders, you need to understand what makes such leaders. Research shows three key traits of emotionally intelligent leadership: Developing others, trustworthiness, and social sensitivity. If you want to know if your leadership operates with emotional intelligence, ask yourself these questions: Do I encourage people to succeed? Do I recognize their contributions? Do I help them grow? If so, you’re on your way toward becoming an emotionally intelligent leader. But what about you, as an individual? It’s not just about how you relate to others at work; it’s also about how you lead yourself. Are you trying new things in your job—and constantly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone? Are you open to feedback and constructive criticism from colleagues and those who lead you? And do you seek to understand before being understood? If so, then congratulations! You’re already on your way to developing emotionally intelligent leadership skills. Step 1: Embed emotional intelligence in your leaders First, it’s important to have an individual-level focus on emotional intelligence. You need to start by ensuring that all employees understand what emotional intelligence is and why it is important. It means providing learning experiences for each member of your organization so they can realize their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to emotional intelligence. It is key that leaders who model effective behavior toward their peers also receive similar training so they can share those skills with others in their team or community. The most successful organizations use peer assistance leadership programs where individuals train one another. These are proven models to help spread emotionally intelligent leadership throughout an organization quickly and effectively. Step 2: Embed emotional intelligence in your community members What’s interesting about Star Factor Coaching is that it doesn’t just teach people how to understand themselves and their co-workers better. It also helps them develop a deep awareness of their strengths and weaknesses as leaders and coaches them on when to step in or back off in certain situations, depending on what they do best. On top of that, Star Factor Coaching relies heavily on peer assistance leadership. In other words, group members help each other through various challenges by sharing insights gleaned from successes and failures at work (or elsewhere). The result? A better understanding for all community members of how everyone fits into a healthy team dynamic— – and what needs to change to make that happen. Step 3: Embed emotional intelligence in the way you communicate with everyone If your goal is to build an emotionally intelligent community, you need to focus on three key areas: Your tone with everyone Your word choice in conversation Your general disposition toward people You can watch how you’re coming across by videotaping yourself and your team. Then, use some tips from Dan Goleman’s book Primal Leadership or Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves; both will help increase empathy in an organization while also bringing out strong leadership skills within everyone on staff. Read, Marc Brackett’s Permission to Feel. It is a delightful, informative book that will deepen your understanding of our emotion skills and how we use them. Once you know and understand what makes an emotionally intelligent leader and what traits they should have to effectively lead others, you can build a community of such leaders.

Janet Patti, Ed.D. is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Star Factor Coaching, a leadership development organization grounded in the latest science and practice of emotional intelligence. Star Factor Coaching has been working with leaders, schools, and organizations for over a decade. In Janet’s role, she leads design and delivery of programs for leaders in Education, Healthcare, Business and related fields. Janet has been featured in a variety of articles and resources, some of which are listed here. Effectiveness of a Leadership Development Program that Incorporates Social and Emotional Intelligence for Aspiring School Leaders Personal, Professional Coaching: TransformingProfessional Development for Teacher and Administrative Leaders Creating Emotionally Intelligent Schools Leading With Emotional Intelligence Citizenship Competencies in Colombia: Learning from Policy and Practice

Team building is an essential part of any organization. Today’s leaders lead with authenticity and thrive on establishing a healthy work culture that encourages teamwork and collaboration. With a supportive, motivated team, you can inch closer to the organizational goals rapidly. Team building activities for employees can help you in this endeavor. Here are 4 team building activities you can try to boost your team’s spirit at work: #1 Tied together This activity promotes teamwork and develops active listening and problem-solving skills among employees. You only need a few cloth strips or shoelaces, and you’re good to go. Ask your team members to create a circle while standing facing each other. Now, tie their ankles to their neighbor’s ankles and ask them to complete a task within a time limit. It can be anything from wrapping a present to a group walk. See them doing things together and develop collaboration while having fun. #2 Blind drawing Another excellent activity to promote collaboration is blind drawing that requires two people to work in sync to finish the task. Divide people into small groups of two. Give a picture to one person and a pen and paper to the other. Ask the first person to elaborate it to the other and get it drawn on the paper without precisely defining the picture. For instance, if a man is eating a burger in the picture, the person cannot say “a man eating a burger.” This activity develops leadership skills in the person guiding the other person and improves communication. #3 Suddenly It is one of the most efficient team building activities for employees that can prepare your team members to face new challenges arising in projects all of a sudden. The best part is that you require nothing to conduct this activity. Ask your team to stand or sit, creating a circle. Pick a famous story and narrate the first three lines and say “suddenly.” As you do this, the person sitting next to you will again continue the story to the following three lines and pass it on. Keep everyone thinking and listening while teaching them how to face challenges they come across suddenly. #4 Flip it over If you’re looking for a more creative option with minimal preparation, this one’s for you. Get a tarp of the size of a table cloth and build teamwork and problem-solving skills in a fun manner. Ask your team members to stand on the tarp and flip it without getting off the tarp. Want to make it more challenging? Ask them to use their feet only! This game makes the participants look for creative ways to perform a task together. As you see, all the team members have to make sure that none of them gets off the tarp. In a nutshell An organization thrives when its team members work in sync and come together to achieve a common goal. To ensure this, it is essential to develop effective practices that keep employees engaged and motivated at work. The above team building activities for employees can help bring your team members closer and develop essential communication and interpretation skills.