Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

or: Building High-Quality Work Relationships

In my supervisors’ experience, I often display purely emotional factors in my C-suite customer engagements that make me an effective leader day in and day out.

victoria-riess-leader-emotional-intelligence-in-leadership — Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

I truly know what makes me tick, what my tendencies are, and what motivates me.

Therefore, I can quickly make sense of my emotions. I am authentic and am not afraid to let my vulnerabilities be known. In addition, I have the abilities to be perceptive about my global team and demanding situations. I meet my senior team members where they are and recognise their needs and emotional — what I often call “bruised ego“-responses. Furthermore, I rarely get my buttons pushed. My self-awareness is what allows me to actively make a choice about how to respond in major disagreement and controversy.

victoria-riess-leader-emotional-factors-that-make-effective-leaders — Emotional factors that make effective leaders

An example of these happened, when I managed the million euros digital transformation with the CEO and CTO of one of the largest traveler loyalty programs in Europe.

When the two other senior stakeholder organisation teams exceeded their deadlines and had not met their deliverables, I mastered the behaviours required to be successful. I proved that I was able to confront this reality and quickly talk straight with the two C-suite stakeholder companies about the impact in a manner that lent clarity without game playing and emotional blows.

victoria-riess-leader-master-behaviours-required-to-besuccessful — Master behaviours required to be successful

My supervisors realised that I accelerated the building of trust with the other senior stakeholder teams to resolve the inter-personal dynamics as well as major disagreement by being transparent and speaking the truth about what was at risk.

My supervisors expected me to be connected and be tuned in, but what astonished them was that I adjusted my thinking and approach in response to the in total three senior managers by both bringing convincing data as well as using shared passion.

victoria-riess-leader-adjust-thinking-approach — Adjust thinking approach

They knew that I rarely get my buttons pushed. In this most difficult situation, I proved again that I can model constancy and maintain control to remove the roadblocks for the time concerns and not met milestones. I have shown again that my emotional factors are one of my key differentiators as a women leader on the rise.

Thanks for reading! Liked the author?

If you’re keen to read more of my Leadership Series writing, you’ll find all articles of this weekly newsletter here.