The Case for Emotional Intelligence

Transcription

1 The Case for Emotional Intelligence Only when you combine sound intellect with emotional discipline do you get rational behavior. Warren Buffet, CEO Berkshire Hathaway and Investor When emotional intelligence first reached a worldwide audience in 1995, it served as the missing link in a peculiar finding: people with high levels of intelligence (IQ) outperform those with average IQ just 20% of the time. This anomaly threw a wrench into what many people had always assumed was the sole source of success IQ. Subsequent years of research show that other variables explain success above and beyond one s IQ, and the findings now point to emotional intelligence (EQ) as a critical factor. What makes one person shine over another, and what predicts job performance, is the combination of what a person knows (IQ), who that person is (personality), and how that person handles himself or herself and others on the job (EQ). Emotional intelligence is this third major contributor to a person s success. EQ is made up of personal and social competence skills: self- awareness, self- management, social awareness, and relationship management. What is it about EQ skills that impact a leader's performance and effectiveness? Whether leaders are aware of it or not, their emotions surface in everything they think, do, and say each day. Even more important is how contagious a leader's emotions can be for the people around him or her. Emotional intelligence skills enable leaders to spot and manage the role of emotions in themselves and others for the benefit of the work and their organization. Awareness of their emotions and tendencies (Self- Awareness) opens doors for leaders to manage themselves more effectively (Self- Management) by making better decisions, and responding to challenges productively and proactively. Awareness of emotions in other people (Social Awareness), including unspoken cues, enables leaders to influence others and build and deepen relationships more effectively (Relationship Management). Executives who continually hone their EQ skills increase their ability to communicate effectively, make good decisions, handle conflict, inspire others, manage stress, and respond to change. Emotional intelligence enables adaptive and agile leadership.

2 EQ alone isn t the only predictor of job performance, but EQ skills provide the foundation for the soft skills that are. For example, the ability to identify and understand what another person is feeling boosts a leader's ability to influence. Similarly, people who are aware of their emotional and physical reactions to pressure will find it easier to structure and manage their time to their advantage. Perhaps the most important finding in emotional intelligence research is that it s a highly flexible skill. With practice, people who measure low in EQ can work to improve a specific EQ skill within six months to a year. During the last two decades, research has shown that people who develop their emotional intelligence become more successful on the job. These findings hold true for people in various professions across industries and levels, all over the world. Emotional intelligence skills are integral to performing at high levels under uncertainty, stress, and change. Emotional Intelligence at Work EQ skills can be developed, yet they are not yet part of core curriculum in college or post- graduate degree programs. Organizations that were early adopters, working to increase the EQ of their new hires, high potentials and leaders, reaped benefits that garnered significant media attention in the late 1990s. Companies that teach these skills to their workforce achieve significant gains in outcomes related to sales revenue, performance against goals, turnover, and stress- related burnout. Studies at Johnson & Johnson and the US Air Force paved the way; and now major corporations, universities, and government agencies are making emotional intelligence an integral part of their talent management, leadership development initiatives, and employee training programs.

3 Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Research 1. In a 2010 study of managers in an executive MBA program at the Wharton School, subjects were asked to react to strategic and tactical management dilemmas while their brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The best strategic thinkers showed more functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) activity in the areas associated with "gut" responses, empathy, and emotional intelligence. What's more, the strongest performers' tactical reasoning relied on emotional processing, making new choices based on assessing past outcomes, and anticipating other people's thoughts and emotions such as understanding how action plans would be received by the workers responsible for implementing them (Gilkey, Caceda, & Kilts, 2010). 2. Practicing high- EQ behaviors helps form new neural connections in the brain, cementing learning and behavior change. This is the mechanism for how people increase their emotional intelligence. Research in the field of neuroscience maps how the brain learns. New neural connections are formed with conscious repeated practice until those connections are solidified to make a new behavior an automatic, unconscious habit in the brain. David Rock (2006) based on his interview with Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D. 3. Three hundred and fifty- eight managers across the Johnson & Johnson Consumer and Personal Care Group who were rated on a leadership 360 assessment showed that the high- performing managers had significantly more emotional competence than other managers (Cavallo & Brienza, 2002). 4. An important emotional skill for successful leaders is the ability to convey emotional messages. Emotionally expressive leaders are not only perceived to be more charismatic but are also viewed as more effective (Riggio & Reichard, 2008; Groves, 2006). In addition, these leaders regulate their emotional displays and are sensitive to followers' needs and emotions (Cherfulnik, Conley, Wiewel, & Miller, 2001). 5. Through the reciprocal transfer of emotions between leaders and followers, also known as emotional contagion, a positive emotional climate in followers is created (Riggio & Reichard, 2008). Authenticity appears to play an important role. In a study involving 135 leaders and 207 followers, suppressing and faking emotions yielded lower ratings in the quality of leader- member relationships and job satisfaction (Glaso and Einarsen, 2008). 6. Direct reports attribute leaders' intentions as more sincere when leaders are in a positive mood as opposed to a negative mood (Dasborough & Ashkanasy, 2002). Leaders were rated more positively when their facial affect was congruent with the message they were delivering during the performance appraisal process (Newcombe & Ashkanasy, 2002). 7. In a 2008 study of 102 R&D scientists at a large Chinese computer company, EQ skill assessment yielded incremental predictive validity for job performance, whereas EQ ability assessment yielded only incremental validity for life satisfaction (Law et al., 2008). The study controlled for IQ and demographics such as age, gender, job tenure, and education level.

4 Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Research cont A study of 87 nursing students looked at the relationship between emotional intelligence and nursing performance. Four of the six nursing performance areas were significantly correlated with the total emotional intelligence scores (Beauvais, Brady, O'Shea, & Quinn- Griffin, 2010). 9. Business school students who scored low in EQ and job performance caught up to their colleagues who scored high in both after participating in an EQ skill development initiative (Ashkanasy, 2001). 10. The difference between top performers and average performers in more than 200 organizations worldwide was 66% due to emotional competence, with 33% due to technical skill and cognitive ability. In top leadership positions, more than 80% of the difference was due to emotional competence (Goleman, 1998). 11. In a longitudinal study started in the 1950s, 80 Ph.D. students in science completed personality tests, IQ tests, and interviews. Forty years later, they were contacted again and rated on success by reviewing their resumes, evaluations by colleagues in their professions, and other sources. Social and emotional competence was four times more important than IQ in their professional success (Feist & Barron, 1996). 12. Sternberg (1996) found that across studies, the importance of IQ varies from 4% to 25% in predicting performance, and that 10% may be the realistic estimate. TalentSmart is a research- based training products and services company dedicated to improving job performance with emotional intelligence and leadership skills. We offer assessments, books, leadership development and training programs, train- the- trainer certification, and executive coaching. Our approach to applying research findings to workplace learning combines easy- to- use methods with cutting- edge technology for a dynamic learning experience that supports making lasting improvements. TalentSmart clients worldwide range from the Fortune 500, universities, and government agencies to nonprofit organizations. To access EQ articles or sign up for our newsletter, please visit:

5 Emotional Intelligence Research References 1. Gilkey, R., Caceda, R., & Kilts, C. (2010). When emotional reasoning triumphs over IQ. Harvard Business Review, 88(9), Rock, D. (2006). A brain-based approach to coaching. International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 4(2), Cavallo, K. & Brienza, D. (2002). Emotional competence and leadership excellence at Johnson and Johnson: the emotional intelligence leadership study. Website: 4. Riggio, R.E., & Reichard, R.J. (2008). The emotional and social intelligences of effective leadership: An emotional and social skill approach. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23, Groves, K.S. (2006). Leader emotional expressivity, visionary leadership, and organizational change. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 27, Cherulnik, P.D., Donley, K.A., Wiewel, T.S.R., & Miller, S.R. (2001). Charisma is contagious: The effect of leaders charisma on observers affect. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 31, Riggio, R.E., & Reichard, R.J. (2008). The emotional and social intelligences of effective leadership: An emotional and social skill approach. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23, Glaso, L., & Einarsen, S. (2008). Emotional regulation in leader-follower relationships. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 17, Dasborough, M.T. & Ashkanasy, N.M. (2002). Emotion and attribution of intentionality in leadermember relationships. The Leadership Quarterly, 13, Newcombe, M.J., & Ashkanasy, N.M. (2002). The role of affect and affective congruence in perceptions of leaders: An experimental study. The Leadership Quarterly, 13, Law, K.S., Wong, C., Huang, G., & Li, X. (2008). The effects of emotional intelligence on job performance and life satisfaction for the research and development scientists in China. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 25, Beauvais, A., Brady, N., O'Shea, E., and Quinn-Griffin, M. (2010, August). Emotional intelligence and nursing performance among nursing students. Nursing Education Today. 9. Ashkanasy, N. (2001, April). The case for emotional intelligence in work groups. Symposium presentation at the annual conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, San Diego, CA. 10. Goleman, D. (1998, Nov-Dec). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, Feist, G. J., & Barron, F. (1996, June). Emotional intelligence and academic intelligence in career and life success. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Society, San Francisco, CA. 12. Sternberg, R. (1996). Successful intelligence. New York: Simon & Schuster.