Running head: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE1
Emotional Intelligence: an Essential Leadership Trait
Frederick R. Tench
Virginia Commonwealth University
Emotional Intelligence: an Essential Leadership Trait
For decades, scholars and practitioners have attempted to identify commonalities and characteristics that define leaders. Both groups agree that vision and commitment are essential leadership traits. In their various studies, they have listed a cornucopia of other characteristics such as passion, integrity, self-confidence, and as many as a dozen others. Over the last six months, our cohort has also immersed itself in leadership theory, self-discovery, and real-world applications to identify fundamental leadership characteristics. In my personal leadership journey, I have benefited greatly from the tools, readings, and class discussions in our cohort’s self-discovery efforts. From these experiences within and outside the classroom, I am firmly convinced that emotional intelligence is an essential trait for leadership success.
Leadership literature indicates a distinctive link between emotional intelligence and effective leadership. Multiple researchers have reported that organizations benefit greatly from the strengths of emotionally intelligent leaders. Those strengths include being adept at establishing effective relationships, at developing productive teams, at motivating employees, and at transforming work environments. Although leaders with high emotional intelligence can manipulate situations, they are much more likely to improve employee morale and increase organizational production. Furthermore, the impact of emotional intelligence in practice has far ranging implications because individuals with high levels of emotional intelligence generally emerge as leaders in their organizations. They are better suited at leading followers through difficult challenges and in addressing the demands of contemporary leadership. In short, effective leadership requires both self-understanding and a connection to the emotional needs of those being led. From this research, I have discovered the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership and leadership development.
Personal Reflection on Leadership
Effective leadership is more than having followers or getting tasks accomplished. Instead, effective leadership is something much deeper, something much more difficult to define. For many, leadership means different things at different times in different situations. Yet, leadership researchers acknowledge that certain attributes are essential for leaders. According to Bolman and Deal (2008), there is a consensus among most researchers that vision, passion, and trust are indispensable virtues for leaders. Iuscu, Neagu, and Neagu (2012) opine that “initiative, persuasion, tenacity, capacity of action and decision are common features of great leaders” (p. 214). To those fundamental traits, I would add emotional intelligence. Without it, a leader cannot have the requisite self-understanding and insight of others to lead effectively and efficiently. Stated simply, I think the best leaders are those who are passionate about their work, are committed to their workers, and are focused on their organization and workers more than themselves.
As a result of the readings, case studies, and self-evaluation exercises in our cohort classes, I have a clearer picture of my strengths and weaknesses not only as a leader but also as a person. I discovered there was a consistency about my preferences, personality, and leadership style among the self-discovery tools. For example, I learned from my LCI Inventory that Sequence and Precision are Use First preferences which conformed to my MBTI Sensing and Judging types. In addition, I scored highest in Human Resources on my self-assessment leadership orientation. I am also a MBTI Feeling type. Consequently, harmony and good interpersonal relations are important to me as a leader. From my 360 degree report, I found that I am perceived as outstandingly effective by my supervisor, peers, and direct reports in sensitivity, judgment, and communication skills and highly effective in the other categories on the test. Although I think the ratings are inflated, they accurately reflect my Extraverted, Feeling, and Judging tendencies.
As a fledging leader, I regularly compare my personality, preferences, and characteristics to those identified with successful leaders. Do I have vision, passion, and trust? Do I possess initiative, persuasion, tenacity, and emotional intelligence to the degree a leader needs? Do I engage in the practices that make leaders effective? I now recognize that to be an effective leader, I must be assertive in applying the Lencioni model to overcome team dysfunctions especially in the area of conflict. In addition, I need to establish trust as a foundation for any project or team. I must strive to learn more about the people I am leading so I can be more perceptive of their needs and talents. For me, the key to being that kind of a leader and accomplishing those goals depends on having emotional intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence – Literature Review
Definition and Overview
Although interest in and research on emotional intelligence has been growing exponentially over the last twenty years, very little scholarly work was produced on emotional intelligence until the last two decades. Webb (2009) found that “research on emotional intelligence began as early as the 1930s with work by Thorndike, Stein, and Wechsler; however, the output of these early pioneers was largely ignored until 1983 when Howard Gardner began writing about multiple intelligence” (p.32). A few years later in 1990, “Salovey and Mayer coined the term emotional intelligence as a label for skills that include awareness of self and others and the ability to handle emotions and relationships” (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 176). Daniel Goleman, popularized the concept in 1995 with his best-selling work Emotional Intelligence (Bolman & Deal, 2008). He defined it as “the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions in ourselves and others” (Goleman, 1995, p 33). With the popularization and wider acceptance of emotional intelligence in the 1990s, scholars and practitioners started formulating theories and conducting research on the concept.
Researchers currently work from three basic emotional intelligence research models. According to Batool (2013), those basic conceptual models of emotional intelligence are:
The Salovey-Mayer model which defines emotional intelligence as the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions to facilitate thinking; the Goleman model which views emotional intelligence as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive managerial performance; and the Bar-On model which describes a cross-section of interrelated emotional and social competencies, skills, and facilitators that impact intelligent behavior (p. 87)
Although the models have different testing apparatuses and assessments, their core emphasis is similar – identifying one’s ability to develop emotional self-understanding and social awareness of others.
Some scholars have expressed skepticism about emotional intelligence research and have questioned whether the trait can be studied effectively. Some claim that empirical evidence about emotional intelligence is weak and “not equally relevant across all work conditions” (Walter, Cole, & Humphrey, 2011, p.52). These scholars advocate employing more advanced and concrete research methods about emotional intelligence before fully committing to the concept as a necessary skill for leadership. Walter et al. (2011) write “the field of EI has not yet reached consensus regarding key definitional and measurement issues; crucial assumptions associated with the EI concept vary even among its supporters” (p. 55). Likewise, Sadri (2012) claims that “criticism of emotional intelligence focuses on the broadness and instability of the definitions used, the predictive validity of the concept, as well as reliability and validity issues surrounding its measurement” (p.541). Notwithstanding these claims, evidence is mounting that research methods on emotional intelligence are valid and being accepted by researchers.
It appears clear that emotional intelligence research is proving a strong correlation between leadership achievement and emotional intelligence. For example, Anand (2010) found that “emotional intelligence had a significant association with leadership practices and predicted success at all walks of life” (p. 70). Goleman (1995) postulates that leaders in emotional intelligence are the keys to an organization’s success; and he writes “leadership is not domination, but the art of persuading people to work together toward a common goal” (p. 149). Further, Webb (2009) argues “a considerable body of research now suggests that the key to success lies in a person’s ability to perceive, identify, and manage emotion” (p. 36). In short, emotional intelligence and its importance in leadership development and performance are being recognized as legitimate and significant.
Strengths
Emotional intelligence’s strengths are many and varied. Emotionally intelligent leaders have strong self-awareness, adroitly self-manage their emotions, and handle relationships with others extremely well (Anand, 2010). They are outstanding at team work, collaboration, and motivation. They excel in transformation leadership because they understand that constructively dealing with people and their emotional needs is most important for sustained and long term success (Batool, 2013). According to Walter et al. (2011), “existing evidence has provided a rather consistent picture; all published articles support the notion that emotionally intelligent individuals are more likely to emerge as leaders” (p. 48). This is not surprising given the strengths of the emotionally intelligent leader.
The emotionally intelligent leader has a high level of self-awareness. Emotionally intelligent leaders are “better pilots of their lives and have a surer sense of how they feel about personal decisions” (Goleman, 1995, p.43). They understand and accept themselves. They are comfortable with their likes, dislikes and decision-making. In addition, they are adept at handling their emotions. They can “bounce back from life’s setbacks and upsets much more quickly than those who do not possess emotional intelligence” (Goleman, 1995, p.43). Those with emotional intelligence recognize that IQ and technical ability alone are not enough to be accepted as leaders (Iuscu et al., 2012). For emotionally intelligent leaders, understanding people and their own emotional needs are equally if not more important (Iuscu et al., 2012). More and more research bears out these emphases as necessary for true success in leadership.
A second strength of emotionally intelligence is the ability to recognize emotions in others. Goleman (1995) says “people who are empathic are more attuned to the subtle social signals that indicate what others need or want” (p.43). Because of this strength, people like working with and for leaders with high emotional intelligence. Emotionally intelligent leader are more likely to establish caring interpersonal relations, to act in tune with emotional expectations, and to behave in ethically responsible ways (Walter et al., 2011). Leaders with high emotional intelligence truly care about their followers and take time to get to know their followers.
Third, emotional intelligent leaders are outstanding in handling relationships. This enables the emotionally intelligent leader to be adept at a variety of situations that involve people. In particular, emotionally intelligent leaders are outstanding at leading teams and motivating others. Because of their ability to recognize people’s needs and interests, the emotionally intelligent leader builds trust that result in team success. Moreover, those higher in emotional intelligence are able to recognize, appraise, predict, and manage emotions in a way that enable them to work with and motivate team members (Sadri, 2012). Iuscu et al. (2012) maintain that “the principles of emotional intelligence offer a new way of comprehending and evaluating the behavior of the people, their aptitudes, skills, and potential and management styles” (p. 215). Emotional intelligent leaders welcome diversity and have the knack for bringing diverse personalities together.
Weaknesses
Although for the most part having high emotional intelligence is becoming a necessity for modern day leaders seeking organizational success, the trait also has some limitations. First, leaders must be aware that there may be different standards for emotional intelligence depending on the environment and situation. What is considered emotional intelligence in one culture may not be considered emotional intelligence in another (Walter et al., 2011). For example, leaders with strong emotional intelligence may find it difficult to confront unpleasant situations especially in environments where collegiality is the expected norm. Goleman (2000) found that “empathy and the emphasis on praise for employee performance have their place; but the exclusive focus on praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected and mediocrity to take a foothold” (p. 85). The caring approach of the emotionally intelligent leader may not be as effective in situations that demand desensitization and pragmatism.
Second, shrewd leaders can use their emotional intelligence to achieve ends that might not be in the best interests of either their employees or their organizations. Some authors have suggested that leaders with high emotional intelligence could use their skills to manipulate others (Walter et al., 2011). These writers suggest that leaders who are emotionally intelligent could be Machiavellian and self-serving. Because of their ability to skillfully and easily gain their followers’ trust, they contend that emotional leaders are susceptible to using their skills for self-gain especially in the Internet and social media era. However, there is no empirical evidence that supports these contentions.
Implications of Emotional Intelligence for Practice
The impact of emotional intelligence in leadership practice is exceptional. For one, having high emotional intelligence is a predictor of leadership potential and success. In a recent study of school leaders across three southeastern states, Maulding, Peters, Roberts, Leonard, and Sparkman (2012) found that “emotional intelligence and resilience are significant predictors of leadership; furthermore, they discovered that as a leader’s emotional intelligence and resilience increased, leadership capacity also increased” (p.26). Of the six essential traits of leadership identified as necessary for success by participants in that study, “relationship building was ranked as the most important; furthermore, the study participants emphatically emphasized the necessity of possessing emotional intelligence in building those relationships” (Maulding et al., 2012, p.25). Webb (2009) writes that “research clearly indicates that assessing emotional competencies helps to identify individuals likely to succeed in a given organizational role” (p.37). Without emotional intelligence, one may not have the self-wisdom, the ability to engage others in meaningful ways, and the character to be the type of leader organizations need in leadership positions.
Another reason for leaders to embrace this characteristic is because an organization’s highest achievers usually have strong emotional intelligence. According to Batool (2013), “studies have demonstrated that leaders who consistently outperform their peers not only have the technical skills, but more importantly, have mastered most of the aspects of emotional intelligence” (p. 88). For example, in competency research of over 200 companies and organizations around the world, Webb (2009) reported that “approximately one-third of the difference in performers was due to technical skills and cognitive ability, while two-thirds was due to emotional competence (p. 34).” Iuscu et al. (2012) theorized that “between 75% and 96% of a leader’s success is based on his/her emotional intelligence (p. 216).” They assert that “emotional intelligence improves a leader’s capacity of excellent performance in carrying out increasingly more complex and difficult tasks (Iuscu et al., 2012, p. 212). In short, emotionally intelligent leaders are conscientious, adaptable, capable of managing their emotions, and focused on results.
Leaders with emotional intelligence are not only high achievers but also enablers of others. They create a culture that allows followers to maximize their potential. Emotional intelligence helps leaders guide teams through difficult challenges, inspire followers, and generate cooperation and trust (Walter et al., 2011). Iuscu et al. (2012) contend “emotional intelligence is an important factor in planning human resources, in staff recruitment, in managerial development, and customer relations (p. 215).” George (2000) claims:
Emotional intelligence facilitates several dimensions of leadership including the development of a unified set of goals and objectives; inculcating the value of work in subordinates; creating a climate of excitement, enthusiasm, cooperation, optimism, and trust; fostering adaptability to change; and creating and sustaining an identity for the organization (p. 1039)
Having leaders with emotional intelligence is becoming crucial to the creation and sustainment of a high performing and happy workforce.
Other theoretical and applied researchers concur with these assertions. Goleman (2000) found that the “social skills displayed by emotional leaders are imperative for leadership success” (p. 80). Goleman (2000) asserts that emotional leaders have:
The ability to wield a range of persuasive tactics; the propensity to bolster the abilities of others through feedback and guidance; a competence at promoting cooperation and building teams; skill at listening and sending clear, convincing, and well-tuned messages, proficiency at cultivating and maintaining a web of relationships; and competence at promoting cooperation and building teams (p.80)
Iuscu et al. (2012) contend that “emotional intelligence is an important factor in planning human resources, in staff recruitment, in managerial development, and customer relations” (p. 215). Emotional leaders care deeply about their followers and take an active interest in them. As a result, followers trust them as leaders and are motivated to perform their best.
Emotional intelligence is also becoming more valued because of its link to transformational leadership. Sardi (2012) associated it with three aspects of transformational leadership: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, and individualized consideration. Batool (2013) writes “researchers found transformational leadership predicted higher ratings of effectiveness and satisfaction compared to transactional leadership; moreover, researchers on leadership have proposed that effective transformation leaders must possess social and emotional intelligence” (p.84). Goleman (2000) maintains that “emotionally intelligent leaders are proficient in initiating new ideas, leading people in a new direction, and inspiring others with a compelling vision” (p. 80). In brief, emotional intelligent leaders are central to the development of transformational leadership and long term organizational sustainability.