Abstract To
lead with emotional intelligence is to inspire, to motivate, to instill a sense
of worth, belonging, confidence, and to compel others to work to their fullest
potential. Successful leadership is measured by the emotions of others. How does
one develop such leadership skills? Leadership experts seem to agree that it requires
an 'inside-out' approach to developing leaders. It becomes critical for leaders
to increase their awareness of their ability to manage themselves and their relationships
with others. Emotional intelligence appears to be in addition to cognitive intelligence,
as measured by one's IQ, and not a component of it. To lead with emotional intelligence
involves an examination of the foundational skills and competencies that underly
leadership competencies. It involves a thorough understanding of the component
parts of emotional intelligence and how each one can be developed in the workplace
for greater organizational effectiveness. Introduction Where
are the leaders who inspire us, motivate us and make us feel like we can achieve
great things? Where are the leaders who, when we are with them, we feel a sense
of self-confidence, our self-worth rises, and we feel like we 'belong'? Where
are the leaders who make us feel good? We feel like we do our best work for leaders
with these qualities. We don't want to leave leaders who make us feel these positive
emotions. I suggest that leaders with these qualities are out there, but I think
it is also safe to say the world could use more of them. This paper will discuss
the difference between leaders and managers and what skills need to be developed
to create more leaders who are able to inspire workers for maximum organizational
effectiveness.
Leaders versus Managers Think
about the managers that you have worked for in your career so far. They were all
managers, but were they all leaders? What's the difference? 'Manager' is usually
the name of the position that we use to refer to the person that 'gets things
done.' They have a responsibility to ensure that those tasks that are within the
scope of their job are completed. Thus, the manager - manages - people, things,
budgets, resources, etc. to ensure that tasks are completed. So,
what is a leader? 'Leader' is usually a label that we give to a person within
an organization that has influence over our behaviour. They 'lead' us to do certain
things. Think of an influential person in your office, division, department, etc.
How do they 'lead' you? It
may not actually be the manager who influences you in this way. It may be a co-worker
or someone who reports to you. Leaders are found at all levels within a company.
Some may disagree with this statement. Some feel that leaders are only found at
the top levels of an organization. If you believe this you may overlook the tremendous
impact that 'leaders' have on other employees in the company - for good and for
bad. Leaders
lead people to feel, think, act, and work in ways that they might not consider
on their own. Now,
here's a question, "who determines whether someone is a leader?" I would
like to suggest that it is the 'follower' who determines whether someone is a
leader. So, if we consider someone a leader because of their influence on us,
we have determined that the individual in question is a leader. If, for some reason,
we do not wish to be influenced by an individual - even if it is someone who has
been given a mandate to 'lead' us, they are not a leader in our eyes and do not
have the desired effect. Thus, leaders earn the right to lead. What
do good leaders do? I have asked this question of hundreds of executives in the
years that I have been delivering leadership workshops and the lists are always
the same: "
Made me feel inspired to do my best
" Listened to me
" Made me
feel like I belong
" Available to talk to when I need them
" Made
me feel like my work is valued
" Involved me in decisions
" Shared
information with me
" Provided feedback on my work
" Honoured
individual and group achievements
" Listened to ideas and was open to
innovation
Very
seldom did individuals or groups identify "technically knowledgeable"
as one of the qualities or attributes of good leaders. This is an interesting
observation. Often managers are chosen based on their superior technical ability.
One engineer once told me, "the day they made me a manager, they lost an
excellent engineer and gained a poor manager." He had no management skills
and no management training and felt unprepared for the job. In
our groups we also make a list of what bad leaders do - which, incidently is the
opposite of the 'good leader list.' So, how do we interpret this list? One of
the questions I ask groups is, "how do good leaders learn to do these things?"
Groups often struggle to answer this question. Ultimately, the answer is that
learning to do the things good leaders do involves developing an additional set
of competencies that provide a foundation upon which we can learn the skills listed.
For
example, how do we inspire people to do their best? Well, first, we need to know
and understand how we are inspired to do our best. Then we need to get inspired
to do our best. Finally, we need to demonstrate those actions which communicate
inspiration to do one's best. Let's
consider how to make people feel like they belong. First, we need to know and
understand what makes us feel like we belong. Then we need to know and understand
others to know what types of things would make them feel like they belong. Finally,
we need to behave in ways that communicate to individuals that they belong. Are
you seeing a trend in how we build this foundation of competencies? How do we
know when we are 'inspired' or if we 'belong'? There's a whole lot to do with
'feeling' and 'emotions' here. What we need is to know more about feeling and
emotions. What we need is to be 'intelligent' about emotion. Let us consider what
is known about 'emotional intelligence.' What
is Emotional Intelligence? If
you type 'emotional intelligence into your favourite internet search engine, you
will get approximately 1,180,000 websites containing the term 'emotional intelligence.'
This begins what I sometimes call the 'EQ Maze.' There are so many different perspectives
on emotional intelligence that it is difficult to tell which is the 'correct'
one. Rather than there being a 'correct' perspective, let me tell you a little
about what I consider to be important in determining which perspective is for
you. First,
I think it is important that the definition makes sense to you as something that
you can work with. If you are in Human Resources, then you need a definition and
a theoretical perspective of emotional intelligence that can be measured and improved
to assist you with your objective of developing more productive employees. While
there may be more than one perspective that fits this bill, let me tell you about
the prespective of Dr. Rueven BarOn, a U.S. educated Israeli, who completed his
Ph.D. studies in South Africa. Why Dr. BarOn's perspective and not another? Dr.
BarOn's theory of emotional intelligence is one of the few that arises directly
from empirical research and quantitative analysis of data. Dr.
BarOn's work in the area began with his concern with why so many patients in his
clinical psychology practice with high IQ's seemed to struggle with so many aspects
of life. In other words, why did smart people do dumb things? Dr. BarOn then set
off to study what competencies differentiated between people who did 'smart' things,
that is, behaviours that assisted them to reach their stated objectives in life
and people who did 'dumb' things, that is, behaviours which did not assist them
to meet their own stated objectives. His
work was carried out in the context of creating an assessment tool to measure
these 'competencies.' Dr. BarOn's definition of emotional intelligence, what he
initially called 'social and emotional competence,' is as follows: "Emotional
Intelligence is an array of noncognitive capabilities, competencies, and skills
that influence one's ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and
pressures." Dr. Rueven BarOn, 1987 If
we think in terms of leadership skills, emotional intelligence then, is the array
of competencies that influence one's ability to succeed in coping with the demands
and pressures of leading in a corporate environment. Dr.
BarOn has described 5 general areas or 'composite scales' of emotional intelligence
competencies: 1.
Intrapersonal
2. Interpersonal
3. Adaptability
4. Stress Management
5.
General Mood
In
the sections that follow, each composite scale will be introduced along with it's
subscales, including definitions. I.
Intrapersonal Emotional
Self-Awareness
The ability to recognize and understand one's feelings and emotions,
differentiate between them, and know what caused them and why. Benefit:
In
the workplace, good emotional self-awareness promotes successful conflict resolution
and leads to improved interaction with staff. Allows one to 'clear the air' by
addressing issues directly and promptly without avoidance which often makes things
worse. Assertiveness
The
ability to express feelings, beliefs, and thoughts and defend one's rights in
a nondestructive way. Benefit:
In
the workplace, appropriate assertiveness helps individuals to work more cohesively
and to share ideas effectively. Good leaders have well-developed assertiveness
skills. Self-Regard
The
ability to look at and understand oneself, respect and accept oneself, accepting
one's perceived positive and negative aspects as well as one's limitations and
possibilities. Benefit:
In
the workplace, employees who have high self-regard have better work attitudes
and behaviors. High Self-Regard often leads to better self-confidence which, in
turn, leads to higher performance. Self-Actualization
The
ability to realize one's potential capacities and to strive to do that which one
wants to do and enjoys doing. Benefit:
In
the workplace, high self-actualization is connected with good motivation and striving
to optimize both individual and team performance. A well-rounded individual brings
more life experience to the job. Independence
The
ability to be self-reliant and self-directed in one's thinking and actions and
to be free of emotional dependency; these people may ask for and consider the
advice of others, but they rarely depend on others to make important decisions
or do things for them. Benefit:
In
the workplace, the proper balance is for leaders to ultimatelly "think for
themselves" and yet still listen to and incorporate ideas from others when
appropriate. II.
Interpersonal Interpersonal
Relationship
The ability to establish and maintain mutually satisfying relationships
that are characterized by intimacy and by giving and receiving affection. Benefit:
In the workplace, good interpersonal relations translates into effective communication
within and between individuals, teams, departments, and divisions. Empathy
The
ability to be attentive to, to understand, and to appreciate the feelings of others…it
is being able to "emotionally read" other people. Benefit:
In
the workplace, understanding the impact of the duties and demands being placed
on staff members creates cohesive functioning. Understanding others' points of
view will help lead others more effectively. Social
Responsibility
The ability to demonstrate oneself as a cooperative, contributing,
and constructive member of one's social group. Benefit:
In
the workplace, social responsibility means contributing to recognized departmental
and company goals. A good leader is also a team player. It also means being aware
of the greater good you and your group can contribute to society as a whole.
III.
Adaptability Problem
Solving
The ability to identify and define problems as well as to generate
and implement potentially effective solutions. Benefit:
In
the workplace, the method used for problem solving is critical: viable alternative
solutions must be considered, including a cost/benefit analysis and long-term
implications. Reality
Testing
The ability to assess the correspondence between what is experienced
(the subjective) and what in reality exists (the objective). Benefit:
In
the workplace, the focus should be on practicality and not unrealistic expectations. Flexibility
The
ability to adjust one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior to changing situations
and conditions. Benefits:
In
the workplace, those high in flexibility perform better in positions where tasks
are dynamic and changing. Those low in flexibility may perform better at more
well defined tasks requiring reliability and consistency. IV.
Stress Management Stress
Tolerance
The ability to withstand adverse events and stressful situations
without falling apart by actively and confidently coping with stress. Benefit:
In
the workplace, effective stress tolerance has to do with managing reasonable workloads,
establishing clear priorities, and meeting realistic deadlines.
Impulse Control
The
ability to resist or delay an impulse, drive, or temptation to act. Benefit:
In
the workplace, rash actions can be costly. Mistakes can often be avoided by simply
taking time to stop and think. V.
General Mood Happiness
The
ability to feel satisfied with one's life, to enjoy oneself and being with others,
and to have fun. Benefit:
In
the workplace, a positive atmosphere lifts spirits and helps overall performance.
Optimism
The ability
to look at the brighter side of life and to maintain a positive attitude, even
in the face of adversity. Benefit:
In
the workplace, there is such a thing as self-fulfilling prophesies. When staff
believe something is possible, they will often make it happen. An optimistic attitude
also helps ward off stress. Developing
Emotional Intelligence How
can leaders develop their emotional intellligence? Let's first look at how we
as human beings develop our emotional intelligence. It begins in infancy when
our significant care givers 'teach' us to be comforted and to comfort ourselves,
and later on, to comfort others. In the psychological literature this self-comfort
is called 'self-soothing.' This is the beginning of emotional self-awareness.
Then, for example, as toddlers we learn from significant others that we must control
some of our basic drives and temptations and we learn impulse control. We get
all kinds of messages from our caregivers as we grow and we incorporate those
into our Self Regard, Independence, etc. All of our experiences contribute to
our developing emotional intelligence. The
most interesting thing about this process is that it is not systematic, nor is
it fully intentional, or consistent, therefore, some people have execllent teachers
and learn their lessons well and others do not. One
of the leading organizations in the world for the development of emotional intelligence
is the Six Seconds EQ Network in San Francisco, CA. The introduction to one of
their publications notes that aliens from another planet would be very intrigued
upon studying our societies down here on earth to find that we have a systematic,
fully intentional, and consistent system for the development of IQ, but we leave
EQ or the development of emotional intelligence totally to chance. So,
how do we as adults develop our emotional intelligence? Well, the best way I know
is to work one-to-one with someone in a coaching or counselling relationship.
After coaching or counselling, group courses and workshops are the next best way
to develop emotional intelligence and following that, there are a lot of resources
available for those who want to learn more on their own. In each case, the steps
involved are to learn more about your current level of emotional intelligence
through the use of an assessment tool. One of the best on the market is Dr. Rueven
BarOn's Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) which is a 133 item, web-enabled,
scientifically validated, assessment or inventory of one's emotional intelligence
competencies. Also available is the EQ-360 which is based on the EQ-i and is based
on the same model of emotional intelligence. Conclusion Leaders
create the context within which we work. Leaders can create a productive, happy,
healthy context where employees feel valued, inspired, motivated, and where they
feel they can produce their best work. Likewise, leaders can create the opposite
environment where employees feel dread as they think about entering the work environment
and, given the choice, they would leave the organization at the first opportunity.
Given the importance of leaders and leadership on the effectiveness and, hence,
on the productivity of an organization, leaders must, therefore, understand how
to inspire and ignite passion to make employees happy and keep employees healthy,
so they stay and contribute to their maximum to the organization for their whole
careers. Further
Reading Bar-On,
R. (2000). Emotional and social intelligence: Insights from the Emotional Quotient
Inventory (EQ-i). In R. Bar-On and J.D.A. Parker (Eds.), Handbook of Emotional
Intelligence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bar-On,
R., & Handley, R. (1999). Optimizing people: A practical guide for applying
emotional intelligence to improve personal and organizational effectiveness. New
Braunfels, TX: Pro-Philes Press. Goleman,
Daniel, Ph.D. 1995. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Bantam
Books, New York: New York. Goleman,
Daniel, Ph.D. 1998. Working With Emotional Intelligence, Bantam Books, New York:
New York. Goleman,
Daniel, Ph.D. 2001. Primal Leadership, Bantam Books, New York: New York. Stein,
Steven, Ph.D. & Book, Howard, M.D. 1999. The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence
and Your Success, MHS, Inc., Toronto: Ontario. Websites
of Interest www.eiconsortium.org
- leaders in the field of Emotional Intelligence www.mhs.com
- MHS publishes the assessment for EI (Emotional Quotient Inventory - EQ-I and
the EQ-360) and has a lot of information and research papers available on their
site www.6seconds.org
- leaders in the development of EI curricula for children and adults www.eqi.org
- the EQ Institute - review of all literature pertaining to EI www.davidcory.com
- for information on assessing emotional intelligence using the EQ-I or EQ-360
and for information about becoming certified to use the EQ-I and the EQ-360 | 
