Blog: Could Emotional Intelligence Be the Biggest Lesson of the World Cup? Written by Dan Hughes Friday 13 July 2018 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email The England football team showed us how to be resilient in four steps The change in style of both the England manager and players during this World Cup feels marked. They have focused just as much on psychology and sports science as the technical skills required to succeed. And with the best performance at a tournament since 1990, it seemed to work. From the outset, a psychologist worked on the England team’s mindset and psychometric tests used to help identify the best penalty takers. The pressure involved in playing for England is enormous and requires a huge amount of resilience. It’s a word used repeatedly by commentators to describe both Gareth Southgate and his team. Underpinning this resilience is emotional intelligence (EI) and we can all acquire it. The behaviours shown against Colombia were a perfect example. The England team demonstrated the ability to recover from negative experiences and come out even stronger. Underhand tactics from the Colombian team, followed by their crushing equaliser in injury time, piled on the psychological pressure. Despite this, the team progressed extremely effectively through what we call the Thrive Cycle of Resilience. From this we saw many of the key attributes of emotional intelligence that we need in working life. The Thrive Cycle of Resilience Shown by the England Football Team 1. Survive After conceding a late equaliser, the team initially struggled early in extra time but maintained their self-belief and showed impressive emotional control. They did not panic. 2. Adapt The squad gradually recovered their poise as a team. They demonstrated an awareness of others, as well as the flexibility to adapt to their resurgent opponents. 3. Recover When faced with a much-dreaded penalty shootout, this time England held their nerve. They took personal responsibility to turn it around when they fell behind. We call this personal power. 4. Thrive Overcoming adversity built connections and trust within the team, a process which can apply in all environments. In addition, rather than getting over-excited after a penalty shootout, Southgate demonstrated reflective learning; he focused on how the team could improve in future games. How Emotional Intelligence Can Help All Managers The aspects of emotional intelligence that contribute to building resilience aren’t just relevant for international sports men and women. We all face adversity in our work and lives. And what differentiates those who adapt, recover and thrive from those that don’t is our ability to manage our experiences. Our attitudes, feelings and behaviours are not set in stone and can be used to make us more personally and interpersonally effective. Like any skill that can be developed (including taking penalties), using the thrive cycle of resilience takes repeated practice – but it’s worth it. Image: Shutterstock Dan Hughes is a Chartered occupational psychologist and product director at JCA Global, a consultancy that applied emotional intelligence in the workplace. Like this article? Why not share it. Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Topic: How independents can win against encroaching rivals Independent consultants must differentiate themselves from competition, such as positioning as trusted specialists Read article Article Topic: Empowering leadership through somatic trauma-informed coaching: my CMI journey Caron Sanders-Crook FCMI shares how studying for a CMI Level 7 Diploma deepened her approach to compassionate leadership Read article Article Topic: “Leadership needs to be held to professional standards” Dr Ayham Ammora FCMI is running for the role of chancellor at the University of Cambridge Read article Article Topic: “You need a bit of edge”: five leadership lessons from BT’s group chief executive Allison Kirkby, group chief executive of BT, shares a tale of hard work, setbacks and pushing beyond her comfort zone… Read article Article Blog This is a space for people to stay up-to-date with all the latest knowledge, opinions and commentary on management and leadership topics from some industry leaders. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.