Dive Brief:
- According to an article at Forbes, a recent survey of global business leaders found that 78% of leaders said personality is what determines a great employee – more than cultural fit (53%) and skills (39%).
- Unfortunately, most leaders don’t understand what they even mean by personality, since it's not really an easy-to-define concept for choosing an exceptional employee, the article notes.
- Instead, the qualities described as personality by leaders in the study were actually emotional intelligence (EI) skills. Unlike personality, which is usually not very malleable, EI can be changed and improved.
Dive Insight:
Included in the 10 most important EQ traits are the willingness to delay gratification and abilities such as tolerating conflict, staying focused and accepting accountability.
For example, the article notes that an exceptional employee never says a task at hand is not part of their job description; in fact, they will jump at the chance to work outside job description parameters. During conflict, they can stay composed while presenting their positions "calmly and logically." Personal attacks don't bother them and they would never personally attack anyone.
The article also notes that factors such as skill sets, years of experience and business degrees are not on the list because while they make may a difference in doing a good job, they won't make an employee exceptional.
