EMOTIONAL LEADERSHIP

Emotional leadership is a process that leaders use to influence their followers to pursue a common goal.  Strong emotional leadership depends on having high levels of emotional intelligence- which is the ability, capacity or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of oneself, of others and of group. True leaders exhibit emotional maturity.

An emotional leader is a leader with empathy and has the ability to read peoples’ needs and desires. Empathy, that is, the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

QUALITIES TO DEVELOP AS AN EMOTIONAL LEADER

1.      BE SECURE IN YOUR SELF-WORTH:

a.     Seek approval from God rather than praise from people. Leaders have to be careful not to encourage an overestimation of themselves by their followers, especially to the point where they become the focus of attention. A true leader understands that any measure of popularity he has is simply a temporary reaction of people to his gift and position and does not reflect who he is as a person.

b.     Evaluate yourself according to your own purpose not others: a true leader does not measure his success by comparing himself to others but by evaluating how he is fulfilling his purpose and vision. You are the only one who can do what you were born to do.

c.     Cultivate the quality of openness toward others: true leaders are able to share their ideas while maintaining genuine respect for the ideas of others. However, they are not easily manipulated by the behavior of others, nor do they easily take offense at people. Keep in mind that the minute you become a leader, you are a target for others. Proverbs 16:32.

d.     Avoid the fear of man: To become a leader, you must possess a deep sense of security, which represents your recognition of your self-worth, your emotional anchoring and your personal strength. A true leader is never intimated by anyone because he has self confidence that is grounded in Christ and that all people have the same value before God. In Acts 5:28-30, Peter and other apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin, the ruling religious council of their day because of preaching the gospel but he was never intimidated because he knew that there is only one ultimate authority and that is God. True leaders love confident people. Courage means standing up on your strength. Do you know where your strength comes from? Joy. “ the joy of the Lord is you strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)

2.      STAND UP UNDER OPPOSITION: if you accept the call of leadership, you must be willing  to be misunderstood, criticized, opposed, accused and rejected just like Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:3). Job experienced intense spiritual, emotional and physical suffering but held on to his integrity and trust in God. His wife encouraged him to curse God (Job 2:9). His friends judged him. (Job 42:7). When you hold a conviction, you expect criticism and rejection. One of the proofs of leadership is criticism.  True leaders are not waylaid by criticism; rather they often see it as a positive opportunity to test their commitment.

3.      BE PREPARED TO STAND ALONE:

a.    Take time to be alone: Because of the weight of his task, a leader needs to be able to be alone in order to process his responsibilities, renew his spirit, mind and body and receive guidance from God. Luke 5:15-16.

b.    Be able to stand alone: leaders must be able to stand alone because they will be forsaken for standing for the truth and for correct principle but they should stay committed to their purpose. Many times, it is necessary for a leader to go against the approval of his family because true leaders do not become controlled by others’ opinions.

4.      CONTROLLED POWER “MEEKNESS”: a leader must also be gentle or meek-power without abuse. Leaders don’t need to show off because they know who they are and they are not troublesome. They are not people who want others to see what they are doing.

5.      POSSESS A FORGIVING SPIRIT: true leaders are so secure with their relationship with God that they can forgive and ask for forgiveness without hesitation. Genesis 41 and 42- the story of Joseph. If anyone should have been permitted to b resentful and unforgiving, it would be Joseph because of what he went through but he was a true leader and true leaders forgive and don’t carry grudges.

6.      SHOW FAITH IN TIMES OF TROUBLE: a good leader has the ability to stay calm in times of crisis. Once when Jesus when Jesus and His disciples were out bin a boat, Jesus fell asleep and a storm came upon them. Although His disciple have leadership potential, Jesus demonstrated His leadership by keeping control of His emotions, showing faith and dealing quickly with the crisis. Matthew 8:23-27. True leaders see beyond the restrictions and embrace the impossible. A good leader is optimistic and keeps his faith even in adversity.

WHY SHOULD A LEADER BE EMOTIONALLY MATURED?

1.    COMPASSION: a leader should be emotionally matured so that they can treat everyone with compassion and consideration and they won’t be afraid of the emotions of others.

2.    EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: a leader should be emotionally matured so as to share their ideas with people around them because leaders who share their visions or strategy lead a more effective workplace.

3.    RESPECT: a leader should be emotionally matured so as to have respect for others and for themselves even when mistakes happen.

4.    LEADING WITH HEART: a leader should be emotionally matured so they can connect with their employees on an emotional level too. That is, addressing a subordinate with warmth.

5.    CONFIDENCE: Great leadership is all about confidence to make decision in any confidence. a leader should be emotionally matured so as to inspire others and educate the subordinates on how to respond to circumstances.

      In conclusion, Emotional maturity is important to being a great leader because it will help the leader to learn how to manage his/her emotions and relate to others in a positive way.

Author:

Obodo Emmanuela

Economist, Blogger.