When hiring for leadership positions, many generally look for professionals with experience and sharp skills. Research reveals, however, that strengths related to emotional intelligence play a huge role in the success of managers.
Those with a high level of emotional intelligence have a connection to their own emotions, as well as the ability to recognize, relate to, and influence the emotions of others. Leaders with high emotional intelligence create more connected and motivated teams.
The skills possessed by people with emotional intelligence make them effective managers. Some include the ability to inspire others, personal integrity, communication skills, and comfort with building relationships, among others.
Emotional intelligence leadership is necessary for managers and executives. This often leads to better business results, happier employees, and more productive teams.
Psychologist Howard Gardner simply
defined emotional intelligence as “the level of your ability to understand
others, what motivates them, and how to work collaboratively with them. »
People who excel in their emotional intelligence are easy to recognize. They
“know each other very well and are also able to sense the emotions of others,”
according to the book Knowledge Solutions .
“They are affable, resilient and optimistic.”
The theory behind emotional
intelligence has led to a framework where five domains describe basic personal
and social skills.
These skills are important in almost every area of job performance. For example, a TalentSmart survey tested emotional intelligence alongside 33 other workplace skills and found emotional intelligence to be the strongest predictor of performance. It explains 58% success in all types of jobs. Additionally, 90% of top performers had high emotional intelligence, while only 20% of bottom performers were high in emotional intelligence.
Applying emotional intelligence to
leadership is natural. As managers and other business leaders are
responsible for supervising employees, developing their skills, and maximizing
their performance, emotions play a crucial role. Covers emotional intelligence
several essential skills that businesses and teams need to function, such as
communication, conflict resolution, pursuit of excellence and more.
Surprisingly, emotional intelligence
is a relatively new theory. It was first popularized when author and journalist
Daniel Goleman published a book in 1995 titled Emotional Intelligence:Why It May Matter More Than IQ . This book
and its subsequent research determined that emotional intelligence accounts for
67% of the abilities needed for superior leadership performance.
The expert in emotion
intelligence clearly showed how fundamental the subject is for companies. "If
your emotional capacities are not in hand, if you do not have self-awareness, if
you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you cannot have empathy
and having effective relationships, no matter how smart you are, you're not
going to get very far,” Goleman said. The science behind emotional intelligence
in business has confirmed the importance of the topic. In fact, Goleman wrote on
this personal site that the biggest surprise for him surrounding emotional
intelligence is his impact in the business world. He quoted a popular statement
from The Harvard Business Review ,
who called emotional intelligence a “revolutionary,
breakthrough idea that is one of the most influential business ideas of
the decade. »
Emotional intelligence can determine the success of a business. Likewise, its absence can lead to avoidable basic failures. Fortunately, emotional intelligence can be improved, and in doing so, it can help you become a better leader. Pursue both of these goals with an online master's degree in organizational leadership that will teach you how to create a culture of collaborative performance in the workplace, communicate strategic visions, analyze complex environments, and make tough decisions as a leader. .
The program at St. Ambrose
University will prepare you for success in a variety of career fields,
including health care, education, public relations, human resources and more .
It takes place entirely online, giving you the freedom to study when and where
you want, at your own pace. More than 95% of program graduates
consider the degree a factor in their achievements, while 45%
were promoted and 60% accepted a new job which they viewed as progress in their
careers.
By St. Ambrose University Online
