026: Why Emotional Intelligence is the Key to Innovation and Leadership in an Organization
Sarah Zink is on a mission to teach people how to discover and use their ‘superpowers’ to be more productive, profitable and powerful. As a multi-dimensional businesswoman and a “multi-preneur” with a background in education, psychology, and community development, Sarah uses her education and experience to work with individuals, businesses, corporations and municipalities across the country to increase effective communication, develop emotional intelligence and escalate productivity.
Sarah is an active consultant, coach and trainer, working with global clients such as Amway, Nexen Petroleum (Energy), Pearson Publishing, and Texas Instruments, as well as local companies such as Texas Health Resources, and the Cities of Fort Worth, Arlington and Mansfield, as well as many others. She is also a seasoned speaker, author, radio show host and video blogger. She was recognized in 2015 as a ‘Great Women of Texas’ by the Fort Worth Business Press.
Top Takeaways:
Don’t let the word ‘emotion’ scare you. This isn’t a Rom-Com. Building your emotional intelligence is key to growing your organization and most importantly your own leadership skills. Today we chat about:
- Your ‘lizard brain’ and its role in your response to fight, flight, freeze, or faint.
- Ways to improve your own emotional intelligence
- Signs that someone you know, including yourself, may be lacking emotional intelligence
- During the first 90-seconds to 18-minutes when something new gets dropped on you, your adrenal glands start going, oxygen supplies decreases to your brain and your IQ score can actually drop up to 30 points.
Resources:
Women Who Run With The Wolves
The Myth of Male Power
A Passion for Leadership
You Are a Badass
20 Tips for Power Chicks
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Show notes:
[4:16] Sarah breaks down emotional intelligence (EQ).
[5:24] Why is EQ so important to the success of an organization?
[12:14] Response to change is different for everyone.
[13:39] Effective communication is a key element of successful change management.
[16:40] How do I know if I am emotionally intelligent? Sarah gives examples of low EQ.
[23:00] Sarah gives action items you can implement to grow your EQ.
[25:59] Learn to label your feelings with Dr. Gloria Wilcox’s Feeling Wheel.
[28:55] The practice of mindfulness.
[31:00] Starting with self-awareness.
[33:59] Sarah describes what emotional self-management tips she gives to clients beyond the theory.
[35:30] The three biggest words that matter in any difficult circumstance.
[38:44] Disappointment and unhappiness impacts your productivity the most at work.
[41:17] Look at the role we play in the situation.
[42:07] Sarah talks about honing in on EQ, empathy, and social dynamics helps you be better managers and leaders.
[45:54] The most overlooked communication strategy.
[47:28] EQ doesn’t mean fluff, touchy-feely, or hugging kittens. Mastering your EQ can make you more powerful.
[49:01] Hope is not a strategy.
[52:21] Employees at all levels need to learn relationship management.
[53:35] Dealing with conflicts in the workplace.
[59:49] Face-to-face conversations make the most forward progress.
[1:00:34] Sarah touches on the “good ol boys club”.
[1:05:01] I’m concerned about companies that don’t think emo IQ is important. Tell me why it isn’t important. The tool that can help each individual employee retake their personal power and how they deal with other people. How could that not be important?
[1:05:43] If we begin to retake our power and our personal responsibility, I’m more concerned with companies that don’t think emotional intelligence is important.
[1:05:53] Arianne kicks off the “lightning round” of questions: Sarah’s favorite book, what drives her productivity and her one call to action.
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