In this episode of the Danish-language podcast Den Nye Standard, I’m joined by Mikkel Severin, a speaker and mind control expert. We talk about why emotional intelligence should be a strategic priority, and what happens when it isn’t.
Mikkel opens the conversation by introducing himself as a smiling, understanding man who creates exceptional results and helps companies work out what they want and how to get there.
Emotional intelligence as a strategic priority
In the episode, Mikkel explains what emotional intelligence is, why it’s an important strategic priority, and what it costs the companies that don’t prioritise it. According to Mikkel, emotional intelligence, also known as EQ, is about the emotions you show towards yourself and others, and whether you can read yourself and other people well enough to act in the best possible way.
Mikkel says top management has to agree before anything can become a strategic priority. But many leaders aren’t good at coaching employees and handling conflict, and then the company often ends up only reaching the standard it’s willing to tolerate. He also talks about how important it is to build a culture with room for learning and mistakes. If employees don’t feel safe, they end up in an anxiety zone, and that makes people less intelligent.
“EQ is twice as important as IQ”
Talking about emotional intelligence leads us on to emotional intelligence at leadership level. Mikkel says EQ is twice as important as IQ when it comes to building a successful team. If emotional intelligence isn’t a strategic priority, Mikkel Severin says, the bottom line suffers. He explains that the core skill in EQ is self-awareness, and that a leader without self-awareness demotivates the team.
Mikkel also says the massive dysfunction often comes about because many companies promote according to the Peter principle, and so risk promoting employees who aren’t suited to being leaders.
“Appraisals are the biggest dysfunction in Danish business”
Mikkel believes appraisals (known in Denmark as MUS) are the biggest dysfunction in Danish business. In his view, they’re used to treat the symptoms of a company’s lack of emotional intelligence. He says 55% of employees think their performance review was unfair, and one in three think appraisals hold back their performance.
According to Mikkel, it’s typically leaders who aren’t strong on emotional intelligence who prioritise appraisals, and he adds that appraisals are only good in the places where they’re redundant. Mikkel mentions in the episode that 81% of leaders don’t see recognising their employees as a strategic priority. He thinks that’s fatal, because recognition is one of the most important factors in employee wellbeing. Mikkel wraps up by saying that no programme is effective until employees believe management puts people first and doesn’t measure them as KPIs.