Missed vulnerabilities, insecure processes and malicious insiders may all lead to undesirable outcomes, since you may not have 100% control of these events. Even a direct report may have made an error. But while you may not have control of events, you can choose 100% control of your responses to them, which can lead to better outcomes.
What if you could improve that little something inside of you that makes the difference in your next up-level position? What if you could secure that edge, one that allows you to look through a clear window versus a foggy one.
It is no longer a secret that IQ, education, or experience does not guarantee personal or professional success. For example, there used to be no rhyme or reason as to why some brilliantly educated individuals struggle with negotiating their compensation package, leading a team, or securing that dotted line to their CFO, while others with fewer certifications flourish. Now with a raised awareness, we know that improving our EQ can help us achieve greatness in many areas of life.
Researchers at Cornell University and other institutions have studied ways to measure that edge among more than 500,000 individuals during the last 30 years. They found that little something that allows people to clearly identify their emotions of happiness, sadness, anger, shame, and fear. Until we are able to clearly identify our emotions, we cannot effectively manage them. Nor can we become fully aware of others’ emotions and learn to better manage them as well. This heightened awareness leads to less frustration and a much deeper fullfilment not only in our professional, lives but also our personal ones.
This missing link is the biggest predictor of personal and professional success. It is not always easy to acknowledge EQ’s importance. Many of us are on auto pilot on a daily basis. Our bodies may be present in the peer group meeting, but our minds may wander elsewhere. We go through the motions of mitigating risks on the latest threat while not using mindfulness to elevate our awareness. Sometimes we do not want to take a closer look inwardly, as it may be easier to look outwardly to others hoping they accept the blame. We could say, “Oh well, it is what it is.” Or we could choose to say, “It is what I choose to accept.” Which statement feels more empowering to you?
Unlike IQ and the many certifications in the cybersecurity world, your EQ may be easily improved through a few basic steps and thought patterns.
You can improve your emotional quotient by improving your ability to reduce negative emotions so that these do not affect your mood or judgment. Acknowledge that there are different ways to view a situation and that you have several choices of perceiving it also helps improve EQ.
Finally, when facing adversity, take a step back and ask: What is the lesson in all this? We cannot always control what happens, but we can control how we react to the situation.
Small changes can yield big results. Taking the first step to improve your self-awareness and that of your team will be worthwhile. The benefits will continue to flow and your fulfillment at work and home will grow exponentially.
Victoria Huff is the Founder of TheHappyExecutive.com, an Executive Coach and member of the Forbes Coaches Council. She will lead a group discussion on EQ and leadership on CISOs Connect. It will run from September 1 to September 14.
Schedule your CISO Connect Consult ($125 value) by clicking on this link. https://my.timetrade.com/book/7G5SL