In today’s workforce, technical skills alone are no longer sufficient to succeed. While technical skills and knowledge in your field are imperative, young professionals must cultivate social and emotional intelligence to navigate the complexities of balancing their personal lives and their professional lives.
When you think of good leaders, what are some of the qualities that come to mind? Skills that I associate with good leadership include being knowledgeable about the job and the work that supports the organization. A good leader exudes confidence without arrogance and demonstrates empathy. They are accountable, trustworthy and open, and are good communicators. These were traditionally seen as soft skills that weren’t as important in the workforce as technical skills. These skills are imperative to success, as Daniel Goleman said, “My research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without it, a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but they still won’t make a great leader.”
Social emotional intelligence, often referred to as EQ (Emotional Quotient), involves a myriad of skills that are the cornerstone for self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, social awareness, and self-awareness. As young leaders, these are skills that are extremely important for us to learn.
Most importantly, social emotional intelligence lays the foundation for strong interpersonal relationships. Our ability to relate to others, understand their perspectives, and communicate effectively is paramount not only at work, but in our personal lives as well. Whether we are working with colleagues to complete a project, leading a team, talking to new clients, or hanging out with family, our ability to empathize and relate to those around us is the key to success.
Emotional intelligence equips us with tools that allow us to be resilient. When we have self-awareness, we understand our strengths and challenges. Identifying these things allows us to work on those areas of our life that maybe we aren’t so secure in. This allows us to grow both as professionals, and personally. And when we develop these areas, it is much easier for us to manage challenges at work and in our personal life.
Self-management is our ability to manage our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. Managing our emotions, identifying stress, and practicing self-discipline can help us to set, and reach, personal goals. Maybe you need to take some extra classes to get a certification that will allow you to be better equipped at work. Or maybe you need to make some time for yourself to take care of your physical and mental health. This tool helps us to realize our goals.
Social awareness is the way we understand different perspectives and empathize with others. This helps us to recognize situational demands and opportunities, recognize strengths in others, show concern and understanding, and express gratitude. Social awareness is very important when working with teams, with our communities, and in our personal lives.
Relationship skills are how we establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships. This includes the ability to communicate clearly, listen attentively, work with groups to problem solve and negotiate conflict, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed. When in a leadership role, relationship skills may be the most important skill to possess. Without the skills discussed above, it is almost impossible to lead in a healthy way.
Responsible decision making is the culmination of the five skills that are discussed above, it allows us to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across many situations. This includes the capacity to consider ethical standards and safety concerns, and to evaluate the benefits and consequences of various actions for personal, social, and collective well-being. A few things that it helps with are identifying solutions for personal and social problems, anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one’s actions, making reasoned judgements based on information, data, and facts, and also recognizing one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being.
It’s easy to see why developing these skills is so important, not only for our professional growth, but our personal growth as well. Most of these skills are not taught in a formal setting such as high school or college, therefore it’s our responsibility to seek out and develop these skills for ourselves. These are the skills that will give us an edge, not only at our place of employment, but in our everyday family lives as well.
About the Author
Meet Clinton Ellsworth, Water Plant Supervisor at Poplar Bluff Municipal Utilities in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Clinton was one of thirty-five participants who completed the EFCN’s 2024 Water Leadership Program (WLP) – a 12-week learning experience aiming to give rising water leaders the training and resources needed to face challenges of utility management with confidence. The EFCN WLP is funded by a grant awarded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program. This pilot program is one in a suite of programs across the country that have received a total of $3.8 million in funding to help build the water workforce and connect individuals to career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector, as well as expand public awareness about job opportunities at drinking water and water treatment utilities.