In a recent survey among 500 business leaders who were asked as to what sets great employees apart, almost 78% said that their ‘personality’ is what makes that difference. This was clearly more important than culture fit and skills which came in at 53% and 39%.

Yet the question remains as to what one’s personality entails. Of course, it is distinguishable from one’s intellect but, according to experts, has a lot to do with emotional intelligence.

Yet these aren’t God-given qualities but can be improved over time if you are aware enough. most leaders can make a real difference in people’s lives as they help them harness these EQ skills.

So, what are these EQ skills?

To answer that, let’s look at certain behaviours that employees exhibit and which sets them apart, in terms of their ‘personality’ or ‘EQ skills’.

5 EQ Skills That Exceptional Employees Demonstrate

So, by now you would have realized that it’s not all about qualifications or work experience but a sense of maturity that we can all aspire towards.

Here are 5 EQ skills that exceptional employees demonstrate:

 

1: Tolerate Conflict 

While they don’t necessary seek conflict, you won’t find them running away from it either. They will also maintain calmness when engaging in conflict and using logic in their arguments. They can also take personal attacks but not use that tactic in pursuit of their goals.

 

2: Have No Issues Delaying Gratification 

You won’t find this sentence “That’s not in my job description” uttered by an exceptional employee. They gladly work outside of these boundaries. They don’t feel entitled or even intimidated nor do they expect recognition or compensation for what they’re doing. While they are confident that they will rewarded later, they don’t necessarily look for it.

 

3: Stay Focused 

This type of employees knows how to focus. Getting distracted is not an option. They are very clear about the real problems and silly background noise and just stick with dealing with the former. In other words, they remain focused on what really matters.

 

4: Courageous 

They’re perfectly willing to speak up when others hesitate whether it is an embarrassingly simple or difficult question. This goes for the situation when they wish to challenge an executive’s decision too. Yet they do this with common sense and timing. In other words, they think before they speak and are careful when and where they do this.

 

5: Control Their Egos Well 

Exceptional employees have egos just like everyone else. However, they never let their egos get the better of them. In more situations than not, they are willing to accept that they are wrong and wouldn’t mind doing things another person’s way. This could be either because it’s just better or to maintain harmony within the team.

 

In Closing

While the work experience and the business degrees might matter, they don’t necessarily guarantee that you’ve hired an exceptional employee. It’s also just as important to look for the aforementioned in employees too.

So, are there any other qualities of exceptional employees that you can think of? If so, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.