Positive intelligence is the new buzzword making its waves in the business and leadership industry. But what does it mean? How do you measure the positive intelligence quotient of a leader? Read on to find out more about what this means and how executive coaching can play a role.
Introduction to Positive Intelligence Coaching
Executive coaches have recently placed emphasis on positive intelligence. There was a time when emotional and cognitive intelligence were the only things that leaders would strive for. Nowadays, leadership is more demanding and a good leader has to go beyond that in order to lead a team to success.
The purpose of executive coaching for positive intelligence is to improve the mental fitness of a leader. Essentially, the purpose of a coach is to teach a client to achieve positive thinking and to foster a positive attitude through practice. It requires exposing leaders to new activities that will enable them to strengthen their brain power and focus on the positive aspects of things. It’s about conditioning the mind to see the positive or to learn how to build a positive environment for those they work with.
Positive psychology coaching is becoming more in demand now than ever before. The purpose of this approach to coaching is to help leaders manage their teams so they experience less stress, boost performance at work, and improve their level of happiness.
How to Promote Positive Intelligence
Promoting positive intelligence in the workplace is not an easy feat. It requires a shift in company culture in order for everyone to develop the same mindset. However, it is worth the investment in time and effort.
There is no shortage of studies to support that a positive mindset can impact all levels of performance – engagement, productivity, and creativity. Happiness is not the goal here because when you link happiness to success or goals, you’ll never reach it, as it is a moving target.
Instead, you can promote positive intelligence within your organization by taking these steps:
Develop New Habits
Training your brain is just like training muscles. The more you do it, the more it getsw accustomed. There are advancements in neuroplasticity studies that show it is possible to rewire the brain as you develop new habits.
Therefore, you can use this approach when promoting positive intelligence. You or your team can get involved in a positive exercise every day for the next three weeks. This is a simple activity, but it can have a huge impact fostering a positive mindset within your team.
There are plenty of exercises that you can do, such as writing down the things you are grateful for, meditating for a few minutes each day, or writing a positive message on your desk.
The idea of practicing positive intelligence and making it a part of one’s daily routine will soon become a habit.
Look At Stress Differently
Stress is considered as one of the worst enemies of the 21st century. A lot of people live a fast-paced life and stress is an integral part of it. When people hear the word stress, they automatically relate it to something negative.
However, positive intelligence requires you to look at stress in a different light. Too often, people get stressed out about the idea of being stressed, which leads to an unhealthy chain reaction. It is important to know that stress can be beneficial too, as long as it is harnessed properly.
The moment you change your attitude towards stress can also change how it affects you. Instead of looking at stress as diminishing, look at it as a tool for enhancement. Use this as an opportunity to do or perform better. The moment you do that, stress is no longer an obstacle and it no longer affects your level of satisfaction at work.
Encourage Social Support
Executive coaches are a good example of social support for leaders. They provide the necessary support and guidance to help executives and leaders overcome the challenges of their roles and their work environment.
As a leader, you can adopt what you have learned from your executive coaching sessions to benefit the members of your organization. Encourage your co-workers and the members of your team by supporting one another, either in collaborating with certain projects, or in their personal lives. The presence of a strong social support network can bring about a number of positive outcomes, such as improved health and higher productivity at work.
So, how do you encourage social support among your co-workers and within your organization? You can start by organizing office activities or inviting your co-workers for lunch. The goal is to increase social interactions outside of the work environment. This will help employees become more engaged at work and also establish stronger social connections with each other.
Weaken Saboteurs
‘Saboteurs’ is a concept that is often discussed by executive coaches. The saboteurs are a set of habitual patterns that work against your best interest. They are your mental foes because they weaken your ability to achieve happiness or your fullest potential.
To promote positive intelligence, you must proactively identify, label, and let go of these saboteurs. Instead of giving them power by letting them take control of your life and mindset, acknowledge them and then let them go. Do not pursue it because if you do, then you are giving its power back. But the moment you let them go, they lose control over you and it’s you that now has the control.
Key Takeaway
Positive intelligence should not be equated to toxic positivity. These are two very different concepts. Executive coaches are now trying to develop the positive intelligence quotient in their clients because a positive mental fitness is the key that unlocks one’s full potential, especially among those who lead their organizations.
Changing your mindset towards things and building a positivity culture in your organization might just be what you need to get to the next level.
