Using your skills to lead more effectively

There are four skills that every manager should master in order to more effectively and efficiently manage their office. The first is intellectual intelligence, the second emotional quotient, the third social quotient, and the fourth change quotient. The following is a brief look at each, and how developing these skills will improve your management.

1. Intellectual intelligence- This is developed through curiosity, discipline, study, and life experience. While this is hard to develop because much of it is inherent, you can become more conscious about your emotional intelligence and thus develop it more readily.
2. Emotional quotient- This is developed by learning to recognize emotions, manage emotions, and use productive self-talk to help yourself not be emotionally hijacked. Why would this be important to a business manager? Because sometimes things get emotional. Sometimes situations arise out of the manager's control, or that affect them emotionally. Knowing your own emotions, and how to manage them can help you recognize emotions in others and help them to handle them as well.
3. Social quotient- This is managing the emotions that come in interpersonal relationships. This is developed by recognizing the emotions in others, by being a good listener, by caring and showing empathy, and by helping others to manage their emotions.As a manager, learning to be empathetic to your employees and customers is only good for you. Learning to understand their emotions, listen to them, and show them they are valued will help them to feel more valued, and respond in kind. Social intelligence is a key ingredient in the make-up of a good manager. Practice makes perfect. As a manager, take time to try and understand how those you manage feel, listen to their needs, and respond to those needs in a way that shows you care and are empathetic to their plight.
4. Change quotient- This is the ability to respond to change. This is done by recognizing a need for change, understanding and mastering the process of change, and finding the emotional comfort that comes when you adapt to change.In business this is critically important. Markets change, and as a manager you need to be able and willing to adjust to the need for change in order to continue meeting customer needs, and running your company successfully. Just look at the changes in technology over the past few years. Manager who resist change are managers who get left in the dust of the social networking and technology revolution. See the need for change, embrace it, and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from being willing to change.

If you can develop these four skills, you will become a far more effective leader, as you will better be able to address problems, recognize change, control yourself, and help others to manage their responses as well. It will be like currency in its value, and something that is worth taking the time to develop.