The goal of emotional intelligence is to connect in ways that produce healthy results and relationships. It requires both authenticity to express genuine emotion in a mature manner and adaptability to meet the needs of specific people and situations. People tend to remember our willingness to engage in times of emotional distress (either for better or worse), but the best way to build emotional connection is with consistency over time.
Emotionally intelligent leaders connect positively with others by being authentic and adaptive.
Consider the last time you took the opportunity to connect with a colleague in an authentic and adaptive way? What is one step you can take to create meaningful emotional connection the next time a similar opportunity arises?