The 1995 publication of Daniel Goleman’s book, Emotional Intelligence, introduced an entirely new concept that challenged the conventional wisdom and assumptions about the characteristics of a leader. So much so that when Harvard Business Review published a review of the book, it attracted the attention of top executives of the nation’s leading corporations and organizations, including the CEO of Johnson & Johnson, who was so impressed he sent copies out to all his top executives worldwide.
Goleman’s research showed that brainpower or technical expertise is not the only requirement for leadership. His studies concluded that the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: they all have high levels of emotional intelligence. In fact, Goleman argued that emotional intelligence is the most important ingredient 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 won’t make a great leader.
So what is emotional intelligence? The term encompasses five characteristics and abilities. The first is self-awareness—knowing your own emotions, recognizing feelings as they occur, and discriminating between them. Second is mood management—the ability to handle feelings and react to different situations appropriately. The third is self-motivation—directing yourself internally towards a goal, despite self-doubt, disinterest and distractions. Fourth is empathy—the ability to recognize and respond to other persons’ feelings both verbally and nonverbally. Finally, the fifth is relationship management—positive and mutually beneficial interpersonal interactions, conflict resolution, and negotiations.
Emotional intelligence (EI) has proven to be a better predictor of future leadership success than traditional measures like the GPA, IQ, and standardized test scores, which explains the great interest in EI by corporations and universities. .
People who manage their own feelings well and deal effectively with others are more likely to live content lives that include working with culturally diverse groups of people and handling issues of race and ethnicity. Happy people are more apt to retain important information and do so more effectively than unhappy people. So check out your EQ or emotional quotient. It may just be the key to your success.