Being Genuine is the key to Success

Over the years, there has been a significant amount of research conducted on the relationship between your emotional intelligence (EQ) and performance at work. Research from companies like TalentSmart has found that 58% of success can be explained by the individual having a high EQ.

Accordingly, for every point of EQ you have, you could earn an extra $1,300 (£1,000) per annum. Further to that, it is believed that 90% of all top performers have high EQs.

Not just Emotional Intelligence

But it isn’t just EQ that can contribute to success. Other contributing factors include:

• Being able to seek help and delegate tasks.
• Time management.
• Visualisation of goals and success.
• Communication skills.
• Knowing when to rest.

However, there is also another factor that can be left off lists: being genuine.

The Importance of Being Genuine

Individuals can be sceptical of demonstrations of emotional intelligence, was the message highlighted in a study by the Foster School of Business, University of Washington. When you show emotion, your employees will analyse your behaviours to consider whether they think your emotions are honest or manipulative. Whether you are genuine or not can have a significant impact on your team’s performance. Workers look not just at what is being said by the leader but by their actions as well. Those that are being genuine are not just talking, they are inspiring and building trust through their actions. So how can you demonstrate you are genuine?

1. Genuine Leaders don’t try to make People like them

Genuine people are comfortable with themselves and aren’t looking for the personal approval of others. They understand that not everyone will like them and they don’t mind. This mindfulness helps them avoid taking action that can obstruct the team’s efforts to getting a job done and achieving set goals. It also means the leader doesn’t brag about their exploits, respects everyone equally and isn’t hypocritical.

2. Genuine Leaders have a Sense of Integrity

Being truthful is the cornerstone of being genuine. If you have a high standard of integrity, people will be more willing to listen to you and your instructions will be carried out without question. By setting the bar high and matching your truthfulness based on your morals and values, while aligning them with the company’s mission, you will achieve a powerful leadership presence.Honesty during feedback sessions can be challenging, especially with negative feedback but being truthful will provide you with more benefits. What leaders need to consider are not the comments in these instances, but how they deliver them. By making it constructive, both the manager and employee can be happy with the session.

3. Genuine Leaders are Passionate

Displaying passion for your work and your company’s success is both infectious and likeable. If you demonstrate on a regular basis your passion for the work, your employees will notice and they will start to mirror you. This emotion is very powerful and can lead to numerous benefits across your company including improving sales andcustomer service. But passion can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes it blinds people to taking the wrong route, which is why genuine leaders also need to listen to the frontline staff and understand their comments and feedback and not get offended.

4. Genuine Leaders have a Higher Purpose

The genuine leaders aren’t looking to have the next big thing or the shiny gadget. They don’t feel satisfied with material possessions. Their happiness comes from emotional stimuli like the success of the company or an employee. Part of this is about being generous with skills and knowledge. Genuine leaders don’t worry about being outshone by an employee, they care more about the success of the company and if there is someone within the organisation who can help achieve that, they will aid them with every resource they can.

Conclusion

Numerous factors contribute to your success, one of the major ones being emotional intelligence.  However, EQ is useless if you don’t portray it with genuine emotion, actions or words.  By being genuine, you can improve your staff’s performance and achieve your business’ goals.

Speak to the Balcroft team if you are looking for leadership development. Our clients have seen remarkable improvements in business performance from our Results-Driven Leadership programme, which has been accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and the ILM has commented that is the most “robust programme” they have seen offered.

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