Striving To Become a Stronger Leader Through Emotional Intelligence

According to Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), research has shown that exceptional leaders, executives, and managers are not just smart or lucky, but more frequently rely on their emotional intelligence. Great leaders move us by tapping into a basic human characteristic — our emotions. That’s why ACRT Services Corporate Controller Mary McFadden turned to the CWRU Weatherhead School of Management’s Emotionally Intelligent Leader Certificate.

“I’m always interested in continuous improvement. There are some in the world of finance that I was interested in, but this emotional intelligence certificate had the most appeal to me because it can affect not only your work relationships but your personal relationships as well,” shared McFadden. As a bonus, she’s a CWRU MBA alumna.

To earn the Emotionally Intelligent Leader Certificate, students must complete four courses of their choosing. McFadden is opting for the following:

1. Introduction to Emotional Intelligence
2. Connecting, Motivating, and Understanding Others through Empathy
3. Developing Your Emotional Intelligence: Core Competencies for Great Leadership
4. Bridge Analytic and Empathetic Thinking: Apply Neuroscience for Better Leadership

“It’s all about understanding yourself, managing your emotions, understanding others, and managing those relationships. As a leader, if you come to work in a bad mood, you affect everybody on your team. Emotional intelligence teaches us how to manage our own emotions,” McFadden further explained the concept of emotional intelligence. “You don’t want to show up and be fake either. For example, if a company is in a really bad situation, the worst thing you could do is completely ignore it and pretend everything is wonderful.”

She noted her excitement when the instructor shared several resources with the class, including the book Helping People Change, Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth. McFadden plans to practice those same emotional intelligence exercises with her team of direct reports.

“We’re going to learn together. They can help coach me, too. I’ve always tried to get my direct reports to give me pointers on how I can be a better boss. You know, people are usually hesitant to do that – it’s uncomfortable. It takes a lot of trust to tell your boss something they’re doing wrong. I think going through exercises like this will build that trust and relationships,” shared McFadden.