EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A KEY SKILL FOR LEADERSHIP SUCCESS SPECIALISING IN OPTIMISING PLANNING, PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE

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1 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A KEY SKILL FOR LEADERSHIP SUCCESS SPECIALISING IN OPTIMISING PLANNING, PEOPLE AND PERFORMANCE

2 In a study of skills that distinguish star performers in every field from entry-level jobs to executive positions, the single most important factor was not IQ, advanced degrees, or technical experience, it was EQ. Of the competencies required for excellent in performance in the job studies, 67% were emotional competencies. - Daniel Goleman INTRODUCTION Organisations from all industries around the globe associate leadership with successful teamwork, excellent morale and high levels of performance. Although the practice of leadership has existed for centuries, businesses have continued to expand research efforts as well as investments in vast arrays of leadership development programs over the past 50 years.[1] But are companies aware of and taking right approach? What is the key skill that is crucial to successful leadership in the business world? In 1995, psychologist and author Daniel Goleman widely introduced the theory of Emotional Intelligence and later applied the concept to a business perspective in Research done by Goleman indicated that truly effective leaders are in fact determined by a high level of emotional intelligence.[2] This white paper will explore the theory and importance of emotional intelligence (EI); and will provide methods that organisations can undertake in order to improve the EI skill for effective leadership. WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE? Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, manage and influence one s own emotions as well as others. Practically, EI highlights the need to be aware that emotions can determine our behaviour and impact people both positively and negatively when under pressure. The theory of emotional intelligence consists of 5 components which are the emotional competencies that lead to successful leadership.[4] WHY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS CRITICAL FOR LEADERS There is a fundamental connection between emotional abilities and effective leadership behaviours. At a minimum, leadership effectiveness must consist of the following 5 elements; all of which involves emotional aspects: Developing common goals and objectives Encouraging a sense of value and importance of work Incorporating flexibility in decision making and change Establishing and preserving a meaningful identity for the team and organisation Leaders with higher levels of emotional intelligence are better at achieving these elements as they evoke emotional responses from employees in the workplace.[6] Another key consideration is that a majority of successful leaders are more: Positive Outgoing and sociable Emotionally expressive Appreciative and trustful Friendly and diplomatic4 2

3 THE 5 COMPONENTS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Self Awareness Self-awareness is the ability to have a deep understanding of one s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs and drives. Those with strong self-awareness are honest to others and also to themselves. They are able to recognise how their feelings impact them, others and their work performance. For example, a self-aware person who is aware of their inability to deal with tight deadlines will plan their time carefully and complete the work in advance. Self-awareness can also refer to the understanding of a person s values and goals. Hence, the decisions of self-aware people will match their values; enabling them to feel energised when working. These traits can also be recognised through self-confidence. Key traits of Self-Awareness Know your own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs and drives Be honest to others and yourself Self Regulation Self-regulation is the ability to manage one s internal states, impulses and resources in order to reach goals. An important aspect of self-regulation is self-control, where people should be aware of their disruptive emotions and impulses in order to keep reactions under control. A person who is able to self-regulate will take responsibility for their personal performance and also maintain the standards of honesty and integrity required in the workplace. Self-regulation also reflects the ability to be ready to act on opportunities that promote new information and ideas; hence the ability in handling changes. By achieving the ability to self-regulate, a person will also strive to improve and set higher levels of standards regardless of obstacles and setbacks. Motivation Motivation consists of various components of self-regulation where people transfer positive emotions into a drive towards reaching goals. Motivated leaders are focused on achieving beyond expectations. For example, many people are motivated by external factors such as a big salary or an impressive title. In contrast, those with exceptional leadership potential are usually motivated by the desire to achieve. Highly motivated individuals will seek challenges and react positively to learning. This positive energy will then expand when achievements take place; encouraging the individual to discover new and more effective approaches to their work. Motivation results in long term success and continuous improvements. Key traits of Motivation An internal state of focussed on achieving beyond expectations Seek challenges and reacts positively to learning Empathy Empathy is the ability to detect and understand what others are feeling and understanding the underlying reasons for another person s behaviour. Empathic individuals are observant of other people s emotional cues and can understand how people feel through their tone of voice, facial expression as well as body language. Empathy is crucial for successful leaders, as they need to distinguish the feelings of their followers and create a connection that stimulates commitment and dedication. Additionally, empathy is strongly related to the acceptance of diversity in organisations which enables employees to respect and relate to people from various backgrounds and further develop knowledge on diverse world views. Those who lack empathy can respond to different people based on stereotypes. Forming business relationships based on stereotypes can hinder both the performance and development of individuals and groups. Key traits of Self-Regulation Demonstrate self-control by keeping your reactions under control Take responsibility for your performance Be adaptable to change Key traits of Empathy Observant of other people s emotional cues Create a connection with people Accept diversity in the organisation and in your world view 3

4 Social Skills Social skills and influence is another factor that differentiates successful leaders from others. People with excellent social skills are able to present in a way which appeals to the listener; persuading pivotal decision makers. Behavioural research also indicates that people who use facial expressions, voice modulation and gestures to express emotion are able to influence others more effectively.[4] Leaders who can influence others are also better able to induce a positive reaction towards a shared vision or goal. Furthermore, effective leaders are aware that emotions are contagious in the workplace; hence positive emotions will lead to improved overall performance. Key traits of Social Skills Able to present in a way which appeals to the listener Uses body language and voice modulation to express emotion THE 5 COMPONENTS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Self-Awareness Understand and be comfortable with your emotions, needs, weaknesses, strengths and drives Increases self-confidence Social Skill Value networking and acknowledge that very few important jobs are achieved alone Increases ability to manage relationships Self-Regulation Control your impulses, especially ones that can be destructive such as anger and fear Increases maturity Empathy Consider others feelings when making decisions Increases ability to; lead teams, retain talented employees, work better with people from different cultures Motivation Experience and be driven towards the job that accompanies achievement Increases ability to welcome challenges 4

5 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE MODEL: HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP? Become Aware of the Senses In order to become more observant of one s own emotions, leaders need to self-reflect and think about how others have impacted on how they feel. It is also important to notice how people s gestures and actions relate to their words when communicating. Understand your own actions and what meaning it portrays to others. Take time to think before you act or speak; especially when affected by stress. Pause and reflect on achievements, priorities and feedback from others. A valuable methodology to enhance the selfreflecting process is reflective practice. This is a practice that requires a conscious effort to think about events and develop insights as a result of them. Essentially, you are critically asking yourself 3 questions in the reflective practice What? (WHAT HAPPENED?) So what? (WHAT DOES IT MEAN?) Now what? (WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT?) A Reflective Learning Process Identify a situation you encountered at work that you believe could have been handled more effectively. What happened? What? When and where did the situation occur? Any other thoughts you have about the situation? Reflection So What? How did you behave? What thoughts did you have? How did it make you feel? Theorising How did the experience match with your preconceived ideas? Was the outcome expected or unexpected? How does it relate to any formal theories that you know? What behaviours do you think might have changed the outcome? Experimentation What Now? Is there anything you would do differently to change the outcome? What Adapted action(s) from can Rolfe you (2001) take to change similar reactions in the future? What behaviours might you try out? Adapted from Rolfe (2001) 5

6 Motivate Yourself by Using Positive Self-Talk Firstly, develop a positive outlook on the challenging tasks to build excitement and maintain composure in the workplace. This becomes a method to regulate emotions. Visualise the work plan and formulate realistic goals that contribute to long-term success. Set additional short-term goals to maintain motivation and reward yourself along the way. Reflect on setbacks and develop improvement methods. emotional intelligence in the workplace; creating a culture that promotes effective leadership. Better Manage Your Own and Others Emotions To understand people s feelings and behaviour, leaders should test their assumptions, listen to other perspectives as well as put themselves in other people s shoes. Think about why people feel a certain way and what the driving forces behind their actions are. Relate to others better by using I feel and you feel statements. Discover your own emotions whilst reflecting on those of others. Be an Inclusive Communicator Develop an understanding of how one reacts in a social situation. Find common issues to start and maintain conversations. Leaders should communicate with and seek input from everyone in the group; ensuring that discussions are not dominated by one individual. It is also important to keep the emotional atmosphere at the workplace at a manageable level; such as taking breaks in meetings when discussions become too tense. As a leader, always provide a positive recognition even when in disagreement. This will support the development of trust and strong relationships with others. [7] REFERENCES 1. Stashevsky, S., & Burke, R. J. (2006). Leadership in organisations. International Journal of Manpower, vol. 27, no Goleman, D. (2004). What makes a leader?. Harvard Business Review. 3. Goleman, D. (1999). Emotional intelligence key to leadership. Health Progress, vol. 90, no Cherniss, C., & Adler, M. (2000). Promoting emotional intelligence in organizations: make training in emotional intelligence effective. Association for Talent Development. 5. Goleman, D. (2014). What makes a leader: why emotional intelligence matters. More than Sound. 6. Antonakis, J., Ashkanasy, N. M., & Dasborough, M. T. (2009). Does leadership need emotional intelligence?. The Leadership Quaterly, vol. 20, A look at emotional intelligence and how to improve it. (1998) Law Office Management & Administration Report, vol. 98, no. 7. SUMMARY In summary, Emotional Intelligence is a very important part of leadership success in organisations. The significance of this skill provides people with the ability to effectively recognise, understand and influence the emotions of oneself and others. However without the relevant skills in the 5 components of Emotional Intelligence, successful teamwork, excellent morale and high levels of performance are unlikely to be achieved to the fullest extent. Organisations have the responsibility to better support their leaders and employees in regards to providing adequate methodologies and training in order to improve 6

7 TMS CONSULTING TMS Consulting helps organisations to strategically unlock the performance of their leaders. Our programs enable focused effort, are highly measureable, and move the focus from individuals to the organisation to maximise ROI. TMS adopts a long term partnership approach by working in collaboration with you to strategically unlock your leadership value. We build relationships based on a strong understanding of your business and its strategic and operational challenges. For further information on TMS services visit Contact TMS to discuss how we can work with you to achieve your desired outcomes. For further information on TMS Consulting, solutions@tmsconsulting.com.au or visit our website. tmsconsulting.com.au Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Perth /company/tmsconsulting_6 /tmsconsultingau /company/tmsconsulting_6