Business leaders are not just great at making their companies a success, but they should also be great at handling their staff. After all, without a hardworking and inspired workforce, they will not be able to achieve success in business. This is why leaders are able to handle people, who are warm, approachable and able to handle interpersonal relationships.

People who have these traits have a high emotional intelligence quotient. This means they are great at being aware of their own and other people’s emotions. While these traits can be natural, they may also be developed and honed.

Here are 5 traits of emotionally intelligent leaders:

1. Empathetic

Empathy is being able to understand how other people are feeling. Great leaders who are empathetic can view a certain issue from other perspectives and consider its effects from different points of view. In fact, being able to put yourself in other people’s shoes when figuring out a solution to a problem will help in gaining consensus from everyone. Thus, they might find an answer that answers the needs of almost everyone.

Developing empathy is possible by trying to visualize oneself in the position of others. Asking oneself, “How would they feel?” and “How would they think?”, will help understand other perspectives. Even if it is not possible to satisfy everyone, acknowledging other people’s views and feelings will help get support.

2. Self-aware

Knowing the situations that bring out the best and the worst in someone is an important part of self-awareness, as well as understanding what one’s biases and preferences are. Being aware of one’s own feelings and history that affect perception and even decisions will help in understanding why this person acts this certain way. In some cases, these past experiences and current emotions can be used to an advantage, but at times, it may also cloud judgement.

Great leaders can try to examine their emotions and thoughts, as well as previous experiences when faced with a situation or a problem. Once they do so, they can decide whether it is contributing to the solution or not.

3. Positive

Staying optimistic in difficult situations can help leaders guide their companies through hardship. However, they still need to stay realistic, as they cannot sell a fantasy that will never be possible.

When problems arise, leaders can take a moment to look for possible positive aspects of the issue on hand. There are always good things that can come out, whether it will make the team stronger, provide an opportunity to learn or improving the way the company works.

4. Considerate

Leaders who want a cohesive and high-functioning team can do so by being caring and considerate. This means they have to make the time to acknowledge other people’s ideas and contributions. It also means trying to get to know employees better and looking out for their future so that these team members feel valued and inspired. In turn, they will have the motivation to give their jobs their best.

To develop consideration, bosses can try to check in with their team members, especially during stressful times. Moreover, they can create opportunities for them to share their thoughts and ideas during meetings or by having an open-door policy.

5. Authentic

The fact is, good actors can always pretend to be someone their employees will like. However, the most important trait of emotional intelligence is being authentic. This means, whether times are good or bad, these people are consistent with how they act and how they talk. Without being truthful, it is impossible to get real support from employees.

Great leaders should always hold on to their integrity, as this is a huge part of their reputation as well. This means, being consistent and real with their words and avoiding making promises they cannot keep. This makes them trustworthy and authentic to both their employees and to people outside of the organization. A loss of trust is the most difficult thing to recover from, so they should take great care to protect their reputation.

Leaders with high emotional intelligence quotients are the ones employees love, for being the kind of boss that cares for their people and has heart. These leaders inspire their team to work hard and achieve success for the whole organization.