Too many people submit to the mistaken belief that being likable comes from natural traits that belong only to a lucky few. In an article, originally published on LinkedIn Pulse, Dr. Travis Bradberry explained how being likable is under your control, and it is a matter of emotional intelligence (EQ). If you want to be a leader whom people follow with absolute conviction, you have to be a likable leader.
Tyrants with a brilliant vision can command a reluctant following for a time, but it never lasts. They burn people out before they ever get to see what anyone is truly capable of achieving. People inevitably ignore innate characteristics (intelligence, extraversion, attractiveness and so on) and instead focus on qualities that are completely under the leader’s control, such as approachability, humility and positivity.
“Leadership must be likable, affable, cordial, and above all emotional. The fashion of authoritarian leadership is gone… You can’t be angry all day.”
-Vicente Del Bosque
These and other words describe leaders who are skilled in emotional intelligence. TalentSmart research data from more than a million people shows that leaders who possess these qualities aren’t just highly likable, they outperform those who don’t possess them by a large margin. Unlike innate, fixed characteristics, such as your intelligence (IQ), your EQ is a flexible skill that you can improve with effort.
Likability is not a birthright; it results from acquirable skills that are crucial to your professional success. And just like other professional skills, you can study the people who have them, copy what works, and adapt them to your own style.