Strength and power are symbols for leadership. Does a concept like emotional intelligence have an impact on leadership? In an article published on LinkedIn, psychologist and author Daniel Goleman builds a strong case for how emotional intelligence (EI) is an important component of effective leadership.

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In a seminar Goleman conducted for a global manufacturing company, he had the task of persuading top-level company leaders that EI is a key component in carrying out their responsibilities effectively. Being engineers, they were naturally sceptical about the concept.

A prior examination of the company’s competence model showed that 80-90% of the competencies expected from top leaders are founded on high emotional intelligence. The patterns are similar across different company models, Goleman notes, and the following confirm that strong leadership is founded on emotional intelligence.

  1. Company models look for confidence in their potential leaders. Confidence stems from self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness is the first characteristic of EI.
  2. Being calm and controlled under pressure is a required leadership trait. Self-management, which also includes initiative and flexibility, is the second characteristic of EI.
  3. The ability to communicate with other people is a fundamental trait of great leaders. This is an exercise of empathy, both cognitive and emotional. Empathy is the third element of EI. Very few leaders take time to listen to the people in front of them, much less empathize with them. Listening is the other half of communicating, and leaders often fail to assess their listening ability.
  4. Companies assess the competencies of managers through their ability to collaborate and work as a team. This has something to do with relationship skills, the fourth element of EI. As leaders, they must have the competency to help and empower others to become competent leaders, too.

Undoubtedly, the competence models of top-performing companies are based on emotional intelligence. Goleman’s scrutiny of these models shows that while 10-20% of the competencies required by companies are based on cognitive abilities, 80-90% of these are based on the principles of emotional intelligence. Goleman’s analysis strongly suggests that the competencies we look for in a highly effective leader hinge in large part on emotional intelligence.

By Daniel

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