The Professional Superpower You Must Activate Now: Emotional Intelligence

 

In my opinion, clinical expertise will only get you so far. If you want to be a calm, confident, and successful person you must activate your professional superpower, emotional intelligence (EI). Psychologist Daniel Goleman is known for popularizing and modifying what EI means and arguing that EI is more important than intellectual intelligence (IQ) in the workplace, and I couldn't agree more. 

Emotionally intelligent people are those people in our lives who listen without judgment, empathize with others, have great interpersonal skills, and are self-reflective. When we encounter these types of people we usually feel seen, appreciated, and engaged. In nursing, we often describe emotionally intelligent people as a team player, rock stars, favorite charge nurses or managers, compassionate, authentic, empathic, transformational, calm ones, the mama bear of the unit, resilient, patient whisperers, and many more similar positive descriptors.

Now, can you imagine the impact on our work environments, performance outcomes, general well-being, profession and even communities at large if every nurse and nurse leader made people feel this way and fit those descriptors? Coaching nurses and nurse leaders on how to strengthen their EI will help nurture these traits and ultimately impact the aforementioned. I am passionate about championing the idea that the new priority in nursing professional development should be coaching nurses and nurse leaders on how to strengthen their EI.

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Nursing

So, why is this important? Emotionally intelligent people are self-aware, motivated, empathic, calm and have excellent interpersonal skills which are traits linked to healthy work environments  (HWEs) and well-being. HWEs are described as having better staffing and retention, psychological and physical safety, and engaged compassionate team members. HWEs are associated with better outcomes for patients, employees and organizations. This makes prioritizing EI a no-brainer, right? I think so! And the great thing is EI traits and skills are not fixed, they can be developed. This is where working with a coach comes into play. Coaching fosters self-awareness, self-efficacy, and action-oriented planning, which are foundational for growth and success. Additionally, coaching provides ongoing support, accountability, and feedback tailored to an individual's needs and goals. This dynamic process enables individuals to develop practical skills, overcome obstacles, and maximize their potential, leading to sustained personal and professional growth and success. 

The Emotional Intelligence Gap in Nursing

However, currently, there is a gap in our professional development as it relates to understanding and developing EI. In nursing, we are not really taught nor given guidance on how to strengthen and apply our EI even though it is an actual skill set that would make us more effective in our demanding roles and support our overall well-being. I am hopeful as a profession we are realizing the importance of leading with empathy, supporting well-being in the workplace, and reimagining our profession in a sustainable way.

This past year I have seen an uptick in nursing journals, conferences, and employee benefits offering development related to emotional intelligence. However, you don’t have to wait until it becomes the next big thing in nursing. I will share what EI is and the ways you can strengthen it. 

Tips To Strengthen Emotional Intelligence

EI is the ability to recognize, understand and manage your emotions as well as recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others and respond to situations appropriately. EI consists of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and interpersonal skills.

In general, the main ways to strengthen your EI are to: 

• Listen closely & without judgment 
• Connect to people on a personal level
• Unlock motivations for yourself and others
• Seek to understand more about yourself and others 
• Study success and missteps 
• Be clear on your purpose

And to help you assess and strengthen the individual EI components I broke each one down for you to review what they mean, ask yourself the associated reflective questions, and then do at least one action.

Self-awareness is the ability to know emotions, as well as your strengths and weaknesses, and recognize their impact on performance and relationships.

Ask :

• What are your preferences and tendencies?
• What do you tend to focus on?
• What are you energized about? What drains you? 

Do:

• Request feedback from trusted
• Take a psychometric assessment
• Journal your thoughts, dreams, feelings

Self-regulation is the ability to control both positive and negative emotions and impulses and be flexible and adaptive as situations warrant.

Ask :

• What are your stressors?
• What does your body and mind tell you when you're stressed?
• How do you manage stress within yourself and when others are distressed? 

Do:

• Rally your restraint i.e. sleep on it, take a pause, vent in a safe space
• Respond intentionally i.e. scan your body & mind, seek to understand, remove judgment
• Practice using positive reframes 

Motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals, feel more fulfilled and improve overall quality of life.

Ask: 

• What motivates you and what unmotivates you? 
• What is your why?
• What do you value the most? 

Do:

• Find your motivation and center it in your work
• Keep your values, purpose and work aligned
• Celebrate incremental growth

Empathy is the ability to understand other people's feelings and see things from their point of view

Ask:

• How do I offer empathy? 
• What does it feel like to be around the most empathetic person I know?
• What challenges do I face when trying to empathize with others?

Do:

• Be kind and curious 
• Aim to listen and connect, not to fix 
• Let people know they are not alone
• Social skills are the vessel carrying all the other components of EI and are key to building meaningful relationships which are integral in everything that we do. 

Ask:

• What social skill(s) comes easy for me? What is a stretch? 
• Who do you feel has great social skills? What do they do? 
• How does a setting impact your social skills? 

Do:

• Ask open-ended questions to show interest in others
• Use icebreakers to help start conversations
• Watch your body language

Keep coming back to review these EI components, reflective questions, and action items to assess your growth and current needs. Remember you are on a professional journey that requires a commitment to continuous learning. 

Key Takeaways: 

1. EI is a professional superpower you must activate now to foster ongoing growth and success for yourself, your teams and your organizations
2. Take action through reflecting, learning, and practicing daily
3. Embrace vulnerability and be transparent with the people around you to cultivate connection
4. Turning inward and practicing consistent reflection will take you far
5. Engage in coaching to accelerate your growth and accomplishments