In the healthcare industry, it doesn’t really matter how skilled the professionals are if they are unable to make a human connection and build trust with patients under their care.
When it comes to interactions with their patients and fellow staff members, their level of leadership, influence, and even credibility can be hindered if they struggle with things like self-awareness, empathy, active listening, etc.
All of these skills (and more!) are part of a greater system of personal and leadership development called Emotional Intelligence (EI).
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional Intelligence is the ability for a person to identify, comprehend, and regulate their own emotions, as well as identify, comprehend, and influence the emotions of other people.
This not only covers the ability to recognize and name our emotions, but it also requires us to take ownership of those feelings and manage our behaviors as a response.
How does it feel when you have a patient with a negative attitude? What emotions do you experience when a coworker raises conflict with you? How do you respond in those situations?
Why Is Emotional Intelligence Important in Healthcare?
Allowing our emotions to run the show significantly impacts our decision-making abilities and interpersonal skills.
The first step in combating this is being able to identify what we are feeling, understanding why we feel that way, and then rationally forming a response that will address the problem at hand without undermining our influence as a caring, trustworthy, integrous leader.
Emotional Intelligence helps us navigate difficult but necessary conversations, regulate our emotions when we feel upset and overwhelmed, take control of our temperament, resolve conflicts, encourage and motivate others, improve collaboration with fellow staff members, and create an environment where patients feel heard, safe, and cared for.
About Dr. Wilkerson, PD, MBA, PCC.
Do you want to increase your impact? Do you want to increase profits under your leadership? Do you want to develop and use your abilities to the fullest to better connect with and lead others? Executive Leadership Coaching covers these bases. Dr. Jerrund Wilkerson, PD, MBA, PCC, has more than 30 years of successful executive leadership coaching in the United States and internationally.
As a licensed pharmacist, he is particularly passionate about helping develop effective leaders in the healthcare community. Dr. Wilkerson has coached and trained thousands of managers and leaders. He is a certified coach and member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team.
CLICK HERE to learn more.