Whether you run a small business or are an employee of one, investing in professional development increases your value on the job. There are many ways to improve your skillset personally and professionally. Whether you’re interested in honing presentation skills, leadership skills, or other industry-specific skills, setting professional development goals can help.

Leadership is something many strive for but aren’t sure how to achieve. Simply earning the role of supervisor or manager doesn’t make you a good leader. Leadership requires a series of strong traits to effectively deliver results while simultaneously building rapport with your team.

There are many schools of thought on what signifies a great leader, but ultimately it depends on the people you’re working with, the goals you have, and your willingness to improve yourself to improve your cause.

At Sandbox Centre leadership soft skills are something we work on a lot with local businesses in Barrie. Our office supports start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing the skills, connections, and framework necessary to succeed in their chosen fields. A major indicator that a business has what it takes to succeed falls on those chosen to lead. A team is only as strong as its weakest member, but remember, employees are often a reflection of their leaders. A hard-working leader creates hard-working employees.

Here, we’ll look more closely at specific traits modern leaders require to get ahead, and how you can become a better leader at work.

Show a High Level of EQ

Emotional intelligence, also called an emotional quotient, or EQ, is the ability to manage one’s emotions in the workplace. Leadership is not a natural role for everyone and learning leadership qualities like EQ take time. Check out the importance of EQ over IQ here. This is due in part to the stressful nature leaders face in business. If you’re unable to manage your team successfully while nervous, upset, or angry, it could reflect poorly on the company.

EQ is not only managing negative emotions well but managing your positive emotions in a business-appropriate manner. Fist pumping the air and yelling, “heck yeah!” in the middle of a business meeting where your team’s stats have improved isn’t always something upper management wants to see. Leaders must be able to maintain a professional but approachable demeanour with employees, customers, and higher levels of leaders.

Your emotional quotient depends on a few underlying factors. These are:

• Self-control – Being able to control yourself and your emotions in high-energy situations.
• Self-awareness – Knowing yourself and your limits so you’re able to step out or take a breath when energies get high.
• Empathy – Putting yourself in the shoes of another, so you better understand the situation and where that person is coming from before reacting.
• Interpersonal skills – Knowing how to read people and communicate accordingly.
• Communication – Using appropriate language and communicating effectively in any given situation.

When you have a high level of EQ it means you’ve mastered the above traits and can keep your cool, level with your employees, take criticism, react appropriately in tough situations, and become a great leader.

Invest in your Professional Development

Pro Dev time is often assigned to employees requiring extra training or looking to move up the corporate ladder. Sometimes leaders forget that professional development is important for you too. Learning new leadership skills and improving the skill set you’ve already obtained is crucial to being successful in a management role.

The world of business is constantly changing. From the technology we use to the countries we trade with. Actively updating your technology skills and staying on top of changes within the company will allow you to continue effectively managing your team.

Creating professional goals is an important part of encouraging growth in business. No matter how successful you were in 2019, there’s room for improvement throughout the New Year. Examining where you’ve missed out in the past and what you’d like to accomplish in the future is a great way to get started.

Why Is EQ More Important than IQ?

The concept of an intelligence quotient is long-lived and still utilized today. It involves a score defined by a variety of tests used to evaluate intelligence. The original term was invented by psychologist William Stern in 1912. The mental age score achieved on the test was then divided by chronological age to create a fraction to be multiplied by 100. Modern IQ tests are scored differently with most adults achieving between 85 and 115. An extremely low number of people score above 130 and below 70.