Category:Emotional Intelligence

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There is a clear link between intelligence and effective leadership^[1], yet views of intelligence have been expanded from the traditional idea of IQ to encompass abilities beyond logical reasoning^[2]. One of the most prominent of these new abilities has been emotional intelligence.

Contents 1 History of Emotional Intelligence 2 Emotional Intelligence Defined 3 Emotional Intelligence & Effective Leadership 4 Resource List 5 References

History of Emotional Intelligence

Historically, western culture has valued logic and reason over, emotions and intuition. This can be traced back to the teachings of both Plato and Aristotle, who viewed logic as the pathway to objective truth, while emotional reactions and desires were temptations to be resisted. This belief was entrenched in the principles of scientific management developed by Frederick Taylor in the early 20th century, and was reflected in the widespread use of IQ tests as a way of identifying effective leaders dating back to World War I.

In 1983, the primacy of logic and reason was challenged by Harvard professor Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences^[2], which included intrapersonal and interpersonal abilities. This was followed by Wayne Leon Payne’s (1985) doctoral paper, which introduced the idea that emotions could be used intelligently, and challenged the wisdom of our historical inclination to suppress and downplay the value of emotions. This sentiment was echoed by psychologists John Mayer and Peter Salovey, whose (1990) model of emotional intelligence^[3] was founded on the premise that emotions were critical to helping us make better decisions.

Yet, it was Daniel Goleman who popularized the idea of emotional intelligence at work with his (1995) book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ^[4] and who brought it into the management field with his (1998) Harvard Business Review article, What Makes A Leader?^[5]

Emotional Intelligence Defined

Emotional intelligence is both a raw ability and a learnable set of skills. While this may seem a contradiction it is actually a commonly occurring phenomenon in many areas of life. Some people are naturally gifted musicians yet we can all improve our musical prowess. The same holds true for sport, language, mathematics, mechanics, map reading, and emotional intelligence. Intelligence is a complex and multi-faceted concept, but at its heart is the ability to understand information before you and then make astute choices about how to respond. This two-step, mental ability holds true for different intelligences. For example, someone with high levels of ‘sporting intelligence’ can easily read just what the ball is going to do and respond accordingly. Emotional intelligence therefore refers to the ability to understand the emotions at play in a situation, and to then use this understanding to make more intelligent choices about how to best proceed. This includes the ability think about emotions, but also a more instinctive ability to read and react to emotions at a more intuitive level.

Emotional Intelligence & Effective Leadership

Emotional intelligence is a new field of research, but early findings are quite promising. This early research suggests that managers with higher levels of emotional intelligence:

• Make better and faster decisions ^[6]
• Are likely to be held in higher regard by their staff^[7]
• Have a more transformational impact ^[8]
• Are generally more effective in their roles^[5]
• Are less likely to experience career derailment^[9]

Resource List

You can view an emotional intelligence resource list here. It includes the best books, articles, assessments, quotes and alike.

References

1. ↑ Lord, R., DeVader, C., & Alliger, G. (1986). A Meta-analysis of the relation between personality traits and leadership perception. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 402-410.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Gardner, H. (1983), Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, New York: Basic Books
3. ↑ Salovey, P. & Mayer, J.D. (1990), [Emotional intelligence], Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, 185-211
4. ↑ Goleman, D. (1995), Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Bantam Books.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Goleman, D. (1998), What makes a leader?, Harvard Business Review.
6. ↑ Caruso, D. & Salovey, P. (2004), The Emotionally Intelligent Manager, Jossey-Bass.
7. ↑ Kerr, R., Garvin, J., Heaton, N. & Boyle, E. (2006), [Emotional intelligence and effective leadership], Leadership & Organizational Development Journal, 27, 4, 265-279.
8. ↑ Palmer, B., Walls, M., Burgess, Z. and Stough, C. (2001), Emotional intelligence and effective leadership, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 5-10; Barling, J., Slater, F. and Kelloway, E.K. (2000), Transformational leadership and emotional intelligence: an exploratory study, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 21, 3, 157-61.
9. ↑ Ruderman, M., Hannum, K., Leslie, J. & Steed, J. (2001), Making the Connection: Leadership Skills & Emotional Intelligence, Leadership In Action, 21, 5.