Leaders’ main misconception about emotional intelligence is that they excel at it. In fact, most respondents, when asked, will assert that they have better-than-average EQ.
There may be someone reading this blog right now, chuckling at all those ‘other people’ who are misguided while confident in their EQ skills.
No need to fret if you’re like most people that rank at the lower end of EQ when put to the test.
The other misconception is that emotional skills are something you are either born with or not. Like so many aspects of leadership, the good news is that you can work to improve your skill.
Consider that you likely are a better leader than you were five, ten, or more years ago if you have a growth mindset driving you in a constant state of improvement. This applies to honing emotional intelligence skills as well.