In today’s fast-paced world of business and competitive workplaces, along with turbulent changing conditions, each of us is searching for effective tactics and tools that can help us manage, adapt, and lead the way to success. 

Help yourself and your team to harness the lasting and sustainable predictor of professional success and business excellence with my program, Emotional Intelligence for Extraordinary Leadership. 

Emotional intelligence affects how we manage our emotions, navigate relationships, and achieve positive “win-win” results. 

Here are 10 ways to increase your emotional intelligence: 
1. Increase your body language. Try to smile more, focus on facial expressions, and have open gestures. 
2. Respond rather than reacting immediately. Remember to stop, breath, and allow cortisol levels to lower. It takes about 18-minutes for cortisol levels to decrease, so give yourself ample time to reflect (and process the situation at hand) before responding. 
3. Practice active listening. Focus on understanding and make eye-contact. 
4. Be prepared to bounce-back. Stay positive in the face of setbacks.
5. Keep positive. Your emotions are contagious and a positive attitude is your #1 attribute. 
6. Be self-aware. You influence others with your emotions every day in every way.
7. Flow with negative people. Build a strong inner-circle of “can do” people.
8. Realize empathy is a strength. Read and respond at a human level – it opens the door to mutual respect.
9. Build your people skills. Soft skills (aka people skills) add hard edge value to your desired outcomes.
10. Be visible and approachable. In the coming year, be more approachable and open to conversation.

By utilizing the skills of emotional intelligence, you will be well on your way to increasing your personal influence, impact, and ability to inspire others!

Here’s to your emotional intelligence in 2020!
—Steve