Emotional Intelligence Anyone? A Must have for Great Leaders

According to Peter Salovey and John Mayer, Emotional Intelligence is defined as:

“the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth."

Research by the guru of Emotional Intelligence (Daniel Goleman) demonstrates that the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way. They all have a high degree of Emotional Intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They matter, but they are “threshold capabilities” or entry level requirements for executive positions.

If someone is in the C-Suite at an organization Emotional Intelligence is a MUST. Without it, a person can have the best technical ability in the world, as well as an analytical mind and be strategic with process but he or she still won’t make a great leader.

The four areas of proficiency within the EI domain are:

• Self Awareness – The ability to recognize and understand personal moods and emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others. Hallmarks of self-awareness include self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, and a self-deprecating sense of humor. Self-awareness depend on one's ability to monitor one's own emotion state and to correctly identify and name one’s emotions. There are many different personality assessments that can help someone identify with their talents and become more self aware.
• Self Management - The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods, and the propensity to suspend judgment and to think before acting. Hallmarks include trustworthiness and integrity; comfort with ambiguity; and openness to change.
• Social Awareness - The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. A skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions. Hallmarks include expertise in building and retaining talent, cross-cultural sensitivity, and service to clients and customers
• Relationship Management - Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks, and an ability to find common ground and build rapport. Hallmarks of social skills include effectiveness in leading change, persuasiveness, and expertise building and leading teams.

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