Are you a toxic leader like Attila the Hun? - bizjournals:

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From my perspective, EQ is a (if not the) core capacity for successful leadership. A lack of EQ is the No. 1 reasom most professionals either derail or stallk out intheir careers. What oftenh gets you hired or promoted into a newposition doesn’yt necessary keep you there (or moving up). The highed you go in an organization, the more important the EQ interpersonapskills (empathy, adaptability, conflict resolution and active listenintg to name a few) are. Therd is much research to support that EQ is the most importantt factor in job performanceand promotion, particularlh leadership. Today, most Fortund 500 companies understand the critical link betweeh EQ andorganizational success.
They take a focused approachj to assessing and developing EQ intheit managers. In one of the largest studies of itskind (mord than 2 million employees), Gallup reportes that the majority of workerws rated having a caringg boss higher than money or benefits. Study afterf study links productivity and workplace satisfaction to positivse emotions while at The curmudgeons should take note good moods happen to be goodfor business.
Those who manage like Attilqa the Hun are toxic to workplaces and unfortunately few rarelu see they arethe What’s really not OK (particularly is in today’s pressure-cookee stressed-out environment) is allowing thesse types of toxic managers to create environments that negativelyg impact morale and productivity. So what can be done? Let’sz start at the top. If you are a senior leader who is knowingly allowing a managere under you to spread toxic emotionsw withstaff — you are part of the Don’t get me I have sympathy for your plight, I know it’sx difficult to address “problem” employees who are results getters (aftefr all what other reason would you have for puttinb up with them).
But pretending the wake they are leavingy behind them in your organizationreallyg isn’t that bad is foolhardy. Frankly, in my experience, it’se usually worse than you think because senior leaders rarel getthe “real truth” at their If you allow the problem managerd to continue unchecked, you risk your othere top talent bailing like rats jumpinvg off the sinking Titanic. This is usually something few companiexcan afford. Either get rid of or get help for your manager and make it clear that notimprovingh isn’t an option. Coach’z tip — make sure you are not the one at the top modeling the problematic behavior in thefirsy place.
Getting help: The good news about EQ: Unlike IQ it can be The bad news — it isn’t EQ is hard-wired in our neural brain so rerouting those circuits takes learning new behaviors and practice to rewiredthe brain. It requirea self-awareness (which means the coach, boss and/or colleaguea need to provide regular feedback), support, best practicse modeling/coaching, mirroring when the problem behaviodr emerges and finally mastering newskills — all whicu necessitate continued practice and focus. Tryinb to address this in-house usuallh doesn’t work. Here’s why.
Most internao HR professionalssimply aren’f trusted in this “coach” or “helper” role (unfortunatelyt they are often viewed as the company or worse as “ineffective,” though personally I have met many who are highlyt competent). External coaches aren’t burdened by the typical internaoHR distrust. The good news is there are highly qualifiesd experienced externalcoaches (the best have backgrounds in businesz consulting, organizational development and/or humab development or EQ) who can provide best practice modeling and safe objective support. What will a professionalo coach do?
Most will start with an EQ assessment — a profile or tool designed to illuminate and identifythe individual’s core EQ challenges and These measure a wide variety of EQ capacitiesx ranging from self awareness, self regulatiohn (how we manage our reactivit under stress), adaptability, optimism, interpersonal communication conflict strategies and/or emotional The most effective coaches incorporate feedback from eithef a “360” (a multi-rater revieqw tool to allow individuals to get feedbaci from everyone around them) or by facilitating a feedbaci session with the client and As you might imagine, getting the “tough” news abouy how others negatively perceive you can “make grown men cry.
” But effectivse coaches will help and support you through the difficulyt but not impossible journey of discovery and learninf new ways of behaving to increase the odds of Next time, I will furthe r define the core capacities of EQ and how you can starty working to improve them.