A recent article published on Inc.com features Dr. Casey Mulqueen, TRACOM’s Director of Research and Development, discussing the ways in which we can control the brain’s response to emotions in order to become a better leader.
In the article How To Be A Better Leader By Rewiring Your Brain , Casey Mulqueen discusses the steps necessary to improve EQ. Mulqueen emphasizes the ability of executives to leverage psychology to be better leaders and improve not only the lives, but also the efficiency of their employees. Leaders can do this based upon the principles of “Behavioral Emotional Intelligence.”
The concept of Behavioral Emotional Intelligence is based on Emotional Intelligence (EQ), which is the ability to recognize, understand, and control your own and others’ emotions. Behavioral Emotional Intelligence (Behavioral EQ) goes one step further–it is the ability to recognize and understand the emotions you and others are feeling and then how to behave appropriately.
What is the difference? A manager sees that an employee is depressed; and empathizes with his or her situation, this demonstrates emotional intelligence, but his EQ is only valuable if he attempts to alleviate these feelings; this is Behavioral EQ.
“The human brain automatically reacts to physical or psychological threats by releasing hormones. When the hormones are released, it’s hard to control your actions. But Mulqueen says that you can ‘effectively fight your own evolution’ and ‘rewire your brain’ to act appropriately by ‘recognizing your automatic responses, labeling them, and figuring what you have control over in the situation.”
