When I assumed my position as the leader of my organization, we were struggling. Our data indicated we were at the bottom of all key performance indicators.
During my first meeting, I shared my vision to move us from the bottom to the top. Most of my staff thought my vision unattainable. I knew we had an uphill battle.
The journey was challenging and it took a lot of hard work. There were days when we weren’t sure we were moving forward or backward. However, we always believed we could accomplish our goals if we stayed focused.
Over the next four years, our organization increased its success rate by more than 40%. We earned numerous awards. In addition, we lead our organization in several key indicators.
We had a celebration like you wouldn’t believe!
There are many different emotional intelligence skills that can help you improve your leadership. One of the biggest is what’s called “delayed gratification.”
Delayed gratification means that you’re willing to do the background work before you get the reward. You’re patient enough to wait for as long as it takes. Sometimes it can take a while. Sometimes it seems like it’s taking forever.
This is part of the self-restraint that people with high emotional intelligence have. EI teaches you to recognize and control your emotional states. In leadership, there’s a feeling of urgency that pushes you. It tells you that it’s now or never, and you feel intense pressure.
The self-restraint of EI quiets that urge so that you can approach leadership calmly even in the heat of the moment and handle the situation in a way that’s appropriate and effective.
You understand the long term is what you should aim for. You know that making decisions hastily isn’t a good strategy. You realize this is instant gratification and it’s impulsive. But, when you’re actually in the thick of things, it’s sometimes very difficult to appeal to reason.
Delayed gratification is a skill every leader should learn. If you’re not getting results, you may feel inclined to give up. But those who stay the course, expecting delayed results, are the most successful leaders.
High emotional intelligence allows you to map out a strategy and look to the long-term. People with high EI are patient, motivated and focused on the future. They tend to be good at time management and they know that results will happen eventually.
To increase your effectiveness, make your emotions subordinate to your commitments.”
Brian Koslow
Delayed gratification is summed up in the old saying – “The race is not to the swiftest, it’s to those who keep on running.”
So, how can you improve in this area?
- Know your values. Keep your values in mind and say “no” when something doesn’t align with them.
- Know your goals. Identify your long-term goals and keep them at the forefront of your mind instead of short-term gains.
- Learn to plan and prioritize. Take the proper time to set out a plan and see it through.
- Reward yourself. When results finally happen, give yourself a good reward. It was worth the wait.
- Improve your emotional intelligence. Learn some skills to improve your overall EI and you’ll see improvement in many areas.
The principle of delayed gratification is one of the key reasons why people with high EI are generally successful, especially when it comes to leadership.
Can delayed gratification make you a better leader?
Your leadership guide,
Kim
Dr. Kim Moore | Your Leadership Guide | kimdmoore.com
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