What do effective leaders do? What should leaders do?

Transcription

1 EI & Leadership

2 What do effective leaders do? What should leaders do?

3 Some questions to ponder Existing studies detail: What leaders are like, what they do! How they make decisions, the effects of leaders feelings or their moods and emotions The role of emotions in the leadership process and success, are often not explicitly considered in the leadership literature

4 Rational Decision Maker While a stereotype of the rational decision maker is a person who can set aside their personal feelings and coolly calculate the best course of action to deal with a problem or opportunity, neurological findings suggest that feelings are necessary to make good decisions (Damasio)

5 Effective leadership Developing a collective sense of goals and objectives Instilling in others knowledge and appreciation of the importance of work activities and behaviors generating and maintaining excitement, enthusiasm, confidence, and optimism in an organization as well as cooperation and trust; encouraging flexibility in decision making and change Conger & Kanungo, 1998; Locke, 1991; Yukl, 1998

6 Why do leaders need EI? The ability for a leader to identify emotions and feelings within themselves allows them to accurately identify the emotions of peers and groups, to express emotions accurately, and to differentiate between honest and fake expressions. (Caruso, Mayer, Salovey 2002)

7 Why do leaders need EI? Empathy, the ability to understand and experience another person s feelings or emotions, is an important component of EI and facilitates a leader s social support and positive interpersonal relationships (George, 2002)

8 Why do leaders need EI? Kellet, Humphrey and Sleeth in 2002 compared emotional and cognitive competencies as a basis of subordinate perceived effective leadership. They found that empathy bore the strongest correlation with perceived effective leadership. This study suggested that perceiving others feeling and empathizing with them may establish an affective bond that is beneficial for leadership.

9 Why do leaders need EI? Leaders use of emotions can enhance cognitive processes and decision making and allows leaders to understand and motivate others by making emotions available, engaging in multiple perspectives that facilitate more flexible planning and more creative, open minded and broader thinking. When people are in positive moods they tend to be more optimistic and have more positive perceptions and perspectives, compared with negative moods (George 2000)

10 Why do leaders need EI? Wolff, Pescosolido, & Druskat (2002) studied 382 team members comprising 48 self managing teams, and found that empathy is the foundation for the cognitions and behaviors that support the emergence of leadership. Overall, they conclude their results suggest that EI, particularly empathic competency is a dominant factor of the leadership emergence.

11 Why do leaders need EI? In a field study on the emotional dynamics of 20 self managed groups, Pescosolido (2002) reports that emergent leaders within groups adopt the role of managing the group s emotional state. They use their emotionally intelligent behaviour to communicate messages to group members regarding group performance and contextual events.

12 Why do leaders need EI? Leaders who experience anger frequently may have a difficult time building good relationships with followers and engendering their trust (Jones & George, 1998)

13 Role of EI competencies Hay/McBer, studied randomly selected 3,871 executives from a database of more than 20,000 executives worldwide to understand the leadership mystery. The research found six distinct leadership styles, each springing from different components of emotional intelligence.

14 EI Based Leadership Styles Coercive leaders demand immediate compliance. Authoritative leaders mobilize people toward a vision. Affiliative leaders create emotional bonds and harmony. Democratic leaders build consensus through participation. Pacesetting leaders expect excellence and self-direction. Coaching leaders develop people for future

15 Coercive Style Working style: Demands immediate compliance Attitude: Do what I tell you. EI Competencies: Drive to achieve, initiative, self-control Suitable: In a crisis, to kick start a turnaround, or with problem employees Impact: Negative

16 Authoritative Working style: Mobilizes people toward a vision Attitude: Come with me EI Competencies: Self Confidence, empathy, change catalyst Suitable: When new vision is required, when clear direction is required Impact: Most strongly positive

17 Affiliative Working style: Creates harmony and builds emotional bonds Attitude: People come first EI Competencies: empathy, building relationships, communication Suitable: to motivate people in stressful circumstances Impact: Positive

18 Democratic Working style: Forges consensus through participation Attitude: What do you think EI Competencies: collaboration, team leadership, communication Suitable: to build consensus or to get valuable inputs from employees Impact: Positive

19 Pacesetting Working style: Sets high standards of performance Attitude: Do as I do, now EI Competencies: drive to achieve and initiative Suitable: to get quick results from a highly competent team Impact: Negative

20 Coaching Working style: Develops people for future Attitude: Try this EI Competencies: Developing others, empathy, self awareness Suitable: to help employee improve performance Impact: Positive