The Power of Emotional Intelligence in Ministry

The most effective leaders all have one thing in common: they all have a high emotional intelligence. There are leadership skills that can be taught, but emotional intelligence is something that you will have to almost retrain yourself to learn. The fact is, employers look for people with a high emotional intelligence because they understand the value that those people can bring to a team of leaders. A high level of emotional intelligence is specifically key in a church setting because of what you will have to endure and manage as a leader.

There are many leadership characteristics that contribute to high emotional intelligence. One of the most obvious, and most important, characteristics is the ability to pause and analyze the situation that you are dealing with. It is human nature to jump at the opportunity to prove a point or to impress people with your words, but a lot of the time, we need to pause and figure out what the right course of action is. This can save a leader so much trouble if it is applied correctly. For example, let’s say you have a fantastic idea for your youth ministry. This idea is going to drive hundreds of students to follow Jesus who previously did not. The only problem is, you haven’t worked out all of the details yet. This is when we start to make promises we cannot keep, time commitments we cannot handle, and say things that ultimately just embarrass us as leaders.

In this video, Dan Shaffer will break down ten key items pertaining to what emotional intelligence looks like in everyday life. Each of these items are going to help you assess whether you have a high enough emotional intelligence to be an effective leader, or what you can do to improve in those areas.