What makes emotional intelligence in leaders so powerful? What would leadership look like if we all embraced emotional intelligence and authenticity as our guiding principles? Emotional intelligence is paramount in not only building authentic connections but also in navigating the complexities of leadership in high-stress environments.
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Angela Payne about how leaders can harness their strengths while addressing their blind spots to become more effective. Angela is the co-founder of LeedHR, where she’s responsible for both development and delivery of client programs, ultimately creating better organizational leaders. Everyone who knows her recognizes her ability to make authentic and long-lasting connections. This “superpower” has enabled Angela to not only build and grow successful teams but also become a strategic coach for many other leaders inside and outside of her organization. Her recent engagement as the National Board President for Lean In Canada, a not-for-profit organization and community of professional women, which empower each other to build purposeful and fulfilling careers, empowered her to set the vision, develop the strategy, and enable the growth for their nationwide chapters and circles initiatives.
Listen in to learn about the nuances of emotional intelligence and the importance of being human and authentic in leadership. You will also learn the unique challenges female leaders face and how to be unapologetic when pursuing your ambitions and embracing your desires.
Key Takeaways:
- The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and how leaders can recognize and regulate their emotions to show up more effectively.
- The power of vulnerability and authenticity in leadership rather than striving for perfection.
- How mentors and sponsors can help women find their voice and succeed in leadership roles.
- Why women should stop apologizing for their ambitions and embrace their desires unapologetically.
- The value of community and sisterhood in helping women recognize and overcome self-limiting behaviors.
- The role of vulnerability in building trust and inspiring others, and embracing imperfection as a leader.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- [02:09] How Angela’s corporate career prepared her for entrepreneurship and the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership.
- [06:07] The nuances of emotional intelligence, which include not just empathy but also skills like decision-making and stress management.
- [09:11] How leaders often underestimate the role of emotions in decision-making, even when they believe they’re being purely logical.
- [10:45] She shares her own emotional intelligence journey and how she learned to balance her high flexibility with assertiveness.
- [15:14] The fear leaders have around addressing emotions in the workplace and how it stems from a lack of education on emotional processing.
- [18:11] The importance of being human and authentic in leadership and doing away with the outdated notion that emotions have no place at work.
- [19:55] How the most inspiring leaders in Angela’s career were those who showed vulnerability and authenticity, rather than perfection.
- [23:40] Angela on the importance of allies and sponsors in her career, plus why women should be unapologetic when pursuing their goals.
- [31:24] The importance of self-compassion, treating yourself with kindness, and surrounding yourself with a supportive community.
- [35:00] The importance of embracing imperfection and recognizing that struggles and challenges are a natural part of the human experience.
- [37:55] The qualities of inspiring leaders; humanity, emotional vocabulary, and ability to motivate others through authenticity.
- [41:10] Angela on why we should view leadership and personal growth as a journey, not a destination.
Standout Quotes:
- “If I think about the leaders that I appreciated the most in my career, they were leaders who were far from perfection, but were actually human and helped me appreciate the fact that I could also make mistakes and it would be okay.”– Angela Payne [19:55]
- “Everybody’s just on a journey of working on themselves and being the best version of themselves; we’re all just working towards that together”– Angela Payne [35:33]
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