Emotional
Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI) is an important quality in a
leader. Barrett (2006) stated,
Emotional Intelligence is emotional and social knowledge and
the ability to be aware of, understand, and express yourself, be aware of,
understand and relate to others, deal with strong emotions and control your
impulses, adapt to change, and to solve problems of a personal or a social
nature. (p. 14)
Many
studies have been published on how individuals with high emotional intelligence
can enhance and increase the potential for positive outcomes. For example, people can work to increase
their emotional intelligence, thus, improving performance. Emotional intelligence is a learned and
practiced skill. Goleman (2012) stated that for individuals in leadership positions, 85%
of their competencies are in the EI
domain.
In fact,
one’s professional success can be improved when emotional intelligence is
improved (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009).
“EQ is so critical to success that
it accounts for 58 percent of performance in all types of jobs. It is the single biggest predictor of
performance in the workplace and the strongest driver of leadership and personal
excellence” (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009, pp. 20-21). (Bottom line that
should appeal to all... more money can be made when you have a high EI.)
Emotional intelligence “refers to the ability to perceive, control
and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can
be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic”
(Cherry, 2010). Although we are born
with emotions (consider a crying or laughing baby). However, we are born with
the intelligence to develop and refine our emotions. Learning when and how to use these emotions
to gain the trust of others is emotional intelligence. Work and personal relationships can be
positively affected by EI.
Social
Intelligence
“Social intelligence requires the
leader get beyond his or her own needs and focus on what the individual or
group needs to be successful” (Mueller, n.d.). A socially intelligent individual can
evaluate the emotional environment of a group of people, and then make a
constructive response. When a person has
social intelligence, he or she can lead a group into being creative, thinking as
a team, and discovering inventive methods to conquer barriers. In simple terms, social intelligence can be
called 'people sense' or 'people smarts'.
Social intelligence is not just associated with work relationships, but
it is also related to personal relationships.
Goleman and Boyatzis (2008) found that
emotions were based off of experiences and one could not experience one without
the other. Social intelligence is “a set of interpersonal competencies built on
specific neural circuits (and related endocrine systems) that inspire others to
be effective” (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2008).
Conclusion
Emotional and Social intelligence
are being used as new leadership models.
For example, when looking at candidates for a job, employers are seeking
those that show emotional and social intelligence. Murphy (2012) stated,
Virtually every job (from neurosurgeon to engineer to
cashier) has tests that can assess technical proficiency. But what those tests
don’t assess is attitude; whether a candidate is motivated to learn new skills,
think innovatively, cope with failure, assimilate feedback and coaching,
collaborate with teammates, and so forth.
(para. 4)
The former Southwest Airlines CEO, Herb
Kelleher, stated, “we can change skill
levels through training, but we can’t change attitude” (Murphy, 2012).
It seems to be very hard to dissect
emotional intelligence from social intelligence. We are born with the ability to form emotions
and grow up in a social world where we must express our emotions
appropriately. As a corporate trainer, I
had coached several managers on communications and dealing with one's emotions.
I told the audience to remember this:
"When in doubt about saying
something wrong, count to ten and don't say anything at all. Let your brain kick in. Get your emotional and social intelligence in
line... then, you can speak with a calmer more rationale voice." The very next day a co-worker did something
downright irresponsible. My rage was
rising to the top and I was about ready to spew words that just were not
professional. I stopped and pulled
together my thoughts. Never let them see you sweat!
Author: Andree C. Swanson, EdD
Barrett,
D. J. (2006). Leadership communication: A communication approach for
senior-level managers. Rice University. Retrieved
from http://scholarship.rice.educ/handel/1911/27037
Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional Intelligence 2.0.
San Diego, CA: TalentSmart.
Cherry,
K. (2010). Emotional Intelligence - What Is Emotional Intelligence. Psychology
- Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts.
Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/personalitydevelopment/a/emotionalintell.htm
Goleman, D.
(2012). “Emotional intelligence: Issues in paradigm building.” Consortium for Research on Emotional
Intelligence in Organizations.
Goleman,
D., & Boyatzis, R. (2008). Social intelligence and the biology of leadership.
Harvard Business Review, 1-4. Retrieved from
http://hbr.harvardbusiness.org/2008/09/social-intelligence-and-the-biology-of-leadership/ar/1
Mueller, A. (n.d.). How to enhance your physical,
emotional, social and spiritual intelligence Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_2309762_enhance-physical-emotional-social-spiritual.html#ixzz1ysqYdY6m
Murphy, M. (2012, Jan). Hire for attitude. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2012/01/23/89-of-new-hires-fail-because-of-their-attitude/
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