CMLE is here to help you with all kinds of information and ideas! This series provides weekly small bits of training on leadership, management, and supervision skills. We have heard from our members that this is an issue they would like to have more training to meet. And I have been a researcher and trainer for many years, focusing on library management, leadership, and administration.
Follow this series using our tag (see end of the article!); and if you want to talk about your own leadership development, or to set up some training in your library, we are here for you!
This week we talk about Emotional Intelligence!
It’s handy to be smart, of course – especially when you work in an information profession. But for many situations in library work, being emotionally intelligent is more useful. Being a good leader and manager can mean knowing how to do the hard skills: budgeting, hiring, collection development. But often it is the soft skills that make people the best leaders: communication, motivation, teamwork. Emotional intelligence can be one of the best skills leaders can develop to be successful, and to help you lead your library, your department, or your own desk!
There are several facets to emotional intelligence:
- self-awareness
- self-management
- social awareness
- relationship management
Each of these have skills under them to make them stronger. (See the chart here!)
Browse through some of these articles to get more ideas about developing your own Emotional Intelligence skills:
- Daniel Goleman material
- Emotional Intelligence Has 12 Elements. Which Do You Need to Work On?
- Which of These 25 Emotional Intelligence Competencies Will You Master Next?
- Five Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Required for Effective Leadership
- The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence
- Eleven Signs That You Lack Emotional Intelligence
- Emotional Intelligence (Wikipedia)