Driving in Lagos may be psychologically taxing, and navigating the traffic is an uphill battle. When the road is free, driving in Lagos is all about who can overtake another vehicle faster since everyone is t rushing to their destination to avoid any traffic congestion. You may leave your house as early as 4:00 am and leave the office as late as 10:00 pm because you are afraid of the traffic in Lagos. What a terrible monster every road user fears!
When you inevitably get caught in “hold-up,” Lagos’ worst traffic, it is a whole new ballgame. You may occasionally lose composure and join other drivers in recklessly obstructing traffic or refusing to yield to another vehicle, even when it is clearly the right thing to do. If you have maintained your composure under such pressure, you should be recognized as a patient road user.
But you must have also experienced harassment from other drivers, particularly Danfo (a yellow public transportation bus) drivers who frequently disregard traffic and driving regulations by abruptly changing lanes or throwing insults like “mugu,” “ode,” “ewu,” “omo mommy,” “olowo igbo,” etc. Your car must have suffered damage while attempting to maintain calm and order.
The objective of every driver that sits behind the wheel is to lead their followers (passengers) safely to their destinations. No leadership, no challenges! Leaders need to be capable of handling difficulties and tumultuous circumstances. In other words, leadership is the capacity of a manager to deal with difficulties and remain cool under pressure. Driving through the traffic in Lagos might be compared to a leader facing difficulty and using emotional intelligence to overcome it. Sometimes the individuals you serve, or assist will insult, judge, intimidate, or even abandon you. As a leader, understanding these expectations ensures your success.
So what exactly is emotional quotient (EQ)? It is the ability to recognize, regulate, and communicate one’s own emotions as well as to recognize, understand, and react correctly to the emotions of others. Four competency quadrants—personal competence and social competence—are needed for this.
Personal competence – Self Awareness and Self-Management
Social Competence – Social Awareness and Relationship Management
Emotional self-awareness is the capacity to recognize your feelings and recognize your inclinations in various contexts. The core of EQ skills is knowing oneself. Only when you know who you are, you can be confident and protected from intimidation and insults.
Self-management is the use of emotional awareness to control your emotions, direct impulsive behavior, and effectively deal with conflict and obstacles. This enables you to better adjust to the circumstances at hand.
Social Awareness is the capacity to recognize and comprehend emotions in yourself, others, and your environment. noticing the atmosphere in a room, showing concern for what people are going through, respecting their ideas and opinions, and having social and cultural intelligence.
Relationship Management is the capacity to regulate encounters and grow others by using one’s own social awareness. Getting along with people, being able to communicate clearly, and managing with fairness and empathy.
Don’t ignore your native intelligence while using these EQ skills on Lagos Road. Recall the song “Suegbe and Pako” by late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anilukapo Kuti.
“leader wey dey do like follower na suegbe ehh ehh oh na suegbe eh ooh ahh” – my version.
#MEMBA11
RESOURCE UTILIZATION AND PRODUCTIVITY CONCEPT.