Impact of emotional intelligence on work life balance
Have you recently seen in the media an athlete, doctor, nurse, parent, police officer, politician, or veteran talk about the emotional impact of navigating the complexity of life and work? I have been personally and emotionally connected to stories of individuals in these fields. Whether it is Simone Biles, who I see occasionally at local establishments in Spring, Texas where I live, or watching another one of my favorite athletes in basketball, football, skiing, or tennis have to publicly deal with their emotions in front of the viewing audience. I have seen it in my conversations with some of my former colleagues or family members working in law enforcement or the medical field about the personal and professional struggles of being a first responder. Or a doctoral student of mine that is a recent military veteran having served the United States for over 20 years and is now struggling to transition back to civilian life. Every day, no matter who we are, where we live, or what profession we are a part of, we are impacted by ours and others’ emotions – at and outside of work. law enforcement
1. Why TalentSmartEQ?
I was asked to share why at this stage in my career I decided to join TalentSmartEQ. The answer is simple: I believe that emotional intelligence (EQ) is the answer for our workplaces, homes, churches, schools, and neighborhoods.
Who am I? and what is my purpose? are questions that most individuals have pondered. I believe the answers to these questions are not often found in others, but within one’s own heart and mind. The problem is that many individuals struggle to understand and manage themselves and others because of negative influences, relationships, life experiences, belief systems, or blind spots. EQ provides the mindset and skillset to build self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
I chose TalentSmartEQ because of the opportunity the company provided to impact people’s lives daily. I see myself as a world changer, but I have determined that the most effective way to change the world is one person at a time. Impacting the right person at the optimum time and place can lead to a tremendous “pebble in the pond” ripple effect. Likewise, teaching EQ to the right person at the ideal time can transform an individual, organization, or culture. EQ is a critical ingredient in shaping a person’s life. Simply put: it is getting to the true essence of you, from the inside out.
2. Background
I grew up in Compton, CA, which was the childhood home of Venus and Serena Williams and some of the most renowned hip-hop rappers (Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Easy E) in the United States. It was also the birthplace of the crips and bloods street gangs, and often topped the list as the murder capital of the United States. As a kid growing up, I had more family members in jail than in college. In fact, I did not have a single family member that had graduated from college. I wanted something more, so I decided to choose my own road rather than go down the road that so many of my family members and friends had chosen. I wanted to be a first-generation college graduate and create a ripple effect; I wanted to become a scholar rather than a statistic.
Like many kids growing up in the inner city, the negative influences of gangs, drugs, jail, and death dominated my surroundings. However, my mother and father taught me self-worth by challenging me not to allow my environment to dictate my future, but to believe that I could accomplish anything my heart desired. I didn’t know it then, but this was my first exposure to the value of self-awareness and self-management. As a kid, I remember my father telling me that I could be “Dr. Campbell.” My father passed away in 2004 from lung cancer, but his words still live in my heart and were a source of motivation as I pursued my dream of becoming Dr. Campbell.
Additionally, life offered very little opportunity for a young, African American boy, especially when it came to recognizing the importance of making an investment in the life of another to build EQ skills. However, as I got older, I learned that making an investment over time would pay off. What I did not understand in my early years was how my decisions would be influenced by the deposits others made into my “life bank account”. Today, I recognize that those investments were not monetary, but were lessons, role modeling, advice, experiences, and mentorship, some of the best examples of EQ in action.
3. Law Enforcement and EQ
Policing in the 21st century is becoming more complex and dynamic as law enforcement executives manage traditional policing, community policing, homeland security, social justice issues, and economic hardship. Consequently, law enforcement executives and officers have faced continuous change, which affects not only staffing and recruitment, but also development and retention. The acceleration of technology has also influenced law enforcement agencies in terms of operations, forensic analysis, investigative tools, and criminal investigations.
As a Senior Executive with over 25+ years of diversified, full-spectrum law enforcement experience leading highly complex organizations and projects (domestic and international), I have personally and professionally experienced how self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management can positively influence an officer or law enforcement leader.
I found that EQ matters, as I conducted my doctoral research on the relationship between EQ and transformational leadership for law enforcement executives with participants from the International Association of Chiefs of Police. EQ can be integrated within the existing training of departments, including new officer academies, defensive tactics, firearms, defensive driving, community policing, and leadership development. I believe that EQ can help law enforcement agencies culture, effectiveness, efficiency, morale, performance, and personal well-being – I believe EQ is the answer for a new reality of policing.
It’s an honor to join the TalentSmartEQ team. I am excited to help expand the awareness and understanding of EQ to positively impact the law enforcement, military, and government industries, along with the communities they interact with every day.
Dr. Greg Campbell is one of the newest members of the TalentSmartEQ team and is the Vice President of Law Enforcement & Government vertical.
From Insights to Action
For more easy-to-implement strategies to improve your EQ, check out our book Emotional Intelligence 2.0.
To learn more about emotional intelligence training and TalentSmartEQ’s programs and solutions, please visit: https://www.talentsmarteq.com/contact/ or contact TalentSmartEQ at 888-818-SMART.
By: Dr. Greg Campbell, Vice President of Law Enforcement and Government at TalentSmartEQ