Why does Emotional Intelligence Matter?

By Joyce Barnes

Many of the bad things that happen in companies are a function of impulsive behavior. Recent studies clearly show that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without it, a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he or she still will not make a great leader. So what is emotional intelligence? Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. For instance, people with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they’re feeling, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people. After all, most people want a leader that can stay in control of his or her team by calmly assessing the situation instead of a temper tantrum or shouting match. Moreover, when it comes to Intelligence quotient (IQ) this can be defined as a value that indicates a person’s ability to learn, understand, and apply information and skills in a meaningful way.

Interestingly enough, people with high EQ do not have to have a high IQ to succeed because social skills in the workplace and in everyday life are constantly being utilized. For instance, according to a recent Forbes article “Research carried out by the Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that 85 percent of your financial success is due to skills in “human engineering,” your personality and the ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead. Shockingly, only 15 percent is due to technical knowledge.” Therefore, even though high IQ could enhance the chance of a successful life, the EQ is the essential ingredient of happiness.

According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who helped to popularize EQ, there are five main elements of emotional intelligence:

Self-awareness (ability to recognize & understand your moods, emotions and effects on others)
Self-regulation (the ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods..think before acting)
Motivation (a passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status)
Empathy (the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people)
Social skills (proficiency in managing relationships and building networks)

So what test, if any, are available to gauge potential candidates for EQ competencies?

According to an article by Stephen Blakesley, a Vistage International speaker, the MSCEIT developed by Mayer, Salovey, and David Caruso, was the first EQ test, then a more updated version was developed by Reuven Bar-On, a psychologist who in fact coined the term “emotional quotient.” (Bar-On model is more widely used and validated than the MSCEIT)

Unfortunately, far too many training programs that intend to build leadership skills including emotional intelligence are a waste of time and money. And the problem is quite simple—they focus on the wrong part of the brain! Just think of all major companies that have been tackling emotional intelligence and still wonder why their leaders are not developing like predicted. Perhaps, this is because they fail to go deep sea fishing for the answer that lies in the neurotransmitters of the brain’s limbic system, which governs feelings, impulses, and drives. Research indicates that the limbic system learns best through motivation, extended practice, and feedback. Now compare this with the kind of learning that goes on in the neocortex, which governs analytical and technical ability. For example, this is the part of the brain that figures out how to use a computer. Not surprisingly, it is also the part of the brain targeted by most training programs aimed at enhancing emotional intelligence. Therefore, organizations must refocus their training to include the limbic system and help people break old behavioral habits.

All in all, it is important to emphasize that building one’s emotional intelligence cannot and will not happen without sincere desire and concerted effort. This basically means a brief seminar won’t help; nor can one buy a how-to-manual. After all, when it comes to running a first class organization no one wants to be known as a hothead when the boss is known for his or her calm approach. Guess what?–fewer bad moods at the top mean fewer throughout the organization.

References

http://www.Fernley.com/bestpractices/industry

https://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leader

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chip-conley/the-top-10-emotionallyint

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_45.htim

http://www.ted.com/conversations/21687/emotional_intelligence?vs_inte.html

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