Sep
04
2019
Emotional Intelligence in Management and Leadership
Emotional Intelligence is a phrase that was coined by Daniel Goleman in the 1990’s and is now being used more and more, being seen as something that managers need to possess if they are to “get on”.
Traditionally intelligence has been measured using qualifications and perhaps “IQ tests” but it has become increasingly clear that maybe this measurement is too narrow and not the best way of assessing how competent a manager is…after all, there are plenty of managers and leaders who are hugely qualified (their walls being littered with certificates) but are terrible at their jobs!
On the back of this, it was considered that there must be other forms of intelligence needed as an ingredient for success and the phrase Emotional Intelligence (or EI) was born.
So, what is Emotional Intelligence?
Well, the theory says that EI is the effective awareness, control and management of your own emotions, and those of other people.
In other words, EI embraces two aspects of intelligence:
Understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses and behaviour
Understanding others, and their feelings
Goleman identified the five 'domains' of EI as:
1.Knowing your emotions
2.Managing your own emotions
3.Motivating yourself
4.Recognising and understanding other people's emotions
5.Managing relationships and the emotions of others
So, the theory is all fine but so what? How does that affect us? Why is Emotional Intelligence important for us as managers or leaders?
Well, the answer is actually quite simple, and it springs from the fact that people are not robots…although I am sure there are some days when managers wish their teams were made up of robots so they would just do as they are programmed!
The big difference between people and robots is that people have feelings and emotions. This is good news and bad news. To understand why this is the case, we need to appreciate that feelings and emotions are the key drivers for how people behave. When people feel good about what they are doing they perform at their best and usually with a smile on their face! Conversely, when people feel bad about what they are doing or the role they play in the organisation, they tend to behave in a negative way. It is also critical to appreciate that peoples’ behaviour has a direct impact on the results they deliver!
When we truly understand this, the mists of people management begin to clear. Very simply, if you want people to deliver good results you have to get them feeling good about themselves and the jobs that they do.
So, positive feelings tend to deliver positive results. If managers and leaders choose to ignore that people are driven but their feelings or are unable to manage or influence those feelings, they are choosing to make their lives harder!
To understand how to increase your level of Emotional Intelligence and then apply that to the workplace, come and learn all the hints and tips you will need on our “Emotional Intelligence in Management and Leadership” course.
