An organization functions as a collective of individuals deliberately joining efforts to achieve shared objectives. Whenever two or more components come together, diversity naturally arises, encompassing variations in employees’ backgrounds, income levels, experiences, gender, knowledge, skills, job roles, cognition, personalities, goals, beliefs, attitudes, mindsets, education, lifestyles, and more. The challenge for a leader is to effectively foster a sense of common purpose and direction among people, transcending their differences. Technically, the solution involves instilling a robust sense of shared values, but on a personal or human level, the most effective approach lies in cultivating Emotional Intelligence (EI).
Leadership involves the executive function of guiding individuals to willingly pursue shared objectives. A genuine leader strives to establish a functional connection between an individual and a group based on common interests. This task is challenging, as it requires ongoing engagement with people who naturally express their emotions. The only time emotions are absent is during sleep. Emotions significantly shape the behavior and attitude individuals exhibit towards assigned tasks, profoundly influencing their productivity, performance, effectiveness, and efficiency. A leader’s skill in recognizing, assessing, comprehending, and influencing emotions is a crucial factor in unlocking and maximizing organizational potential.
What constitutes emotions?
Essentially, emotions are potent sensations arising from one’s situation, disposition, or connections. They emerge internally as instincts or intuition and manifest externally through actions. Emotions represent a conscious encounter marked by intense mental activity, evoking either pleasure or displeasure. A commonality among humans is the manifestation of five fundamental emotions—happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and shame—while individual distinctions lie in the varying degrees of expression. Long-term emotional conditioning culminates in the development of a cognitive framework known as a mindset. This mindset reflects a person’s ingrained way of thinking, shaping their identity and influencing their actions. For leaders, a mindset serves as the pre-established mental blueprint, derived from an employee’s past experiences, dictating their every present action, behavior, or attitude.
Leadership extends beyond interacting with individuals in a tangible sense; it constitutes an ongoing emotional struggle against deeply ingrained mental tendencies in employees, shaped by years of cumulative programming from childhood to adulthood. For contemporary leaders, employing intelligence to navigate and address employee emotions is not merely a choice but the indispensable approach for effectively managing the inherent cognitive patterns within the workforce.
What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?
Emotional Intelligence (EI) stands out as the crucial element that sets individuals apart in their everyday endeavors. It serves as the distinguishing factor behind the success of 3% of the population who command 97% of the world’s wealth. This concept elucidates why some individuals, despite their apparent brilliance and extensive education, face challenges, while others with fewer skills prosper. Essentially, EI involves the capacity to identify and comprehend emotions within oneself and others. This awareness is then utilized to regulate one’s own behavior internally and foster positive relationships externally. In essence, EI emphasizes the importance of mastering internal self-management before attempting to exert influence or control over the behavior of others externally.
Historically, organizations depended on IQ (academic abilities) as the primary benchmark for assessing success in the workplace. However, recent research has demonstrated that an individual’s Emotional Intelligence (EI) competence, particularly as they advance in the corporate hierarchy, is closely linked to performance and productivity. Those who struggle to perceive, evaluate, control, and positively express emotions often find it challenging to effectively lead others.
How does Emotional Intelligence (EI) form?
Within the human mind, an ongoing conflict persists between “Feelings/Emotions” and “Logic/Reasoning.” This struggle arises when the two cognitive entities, namely the “Limbic System” responsible for emotions and the “Neocortex” associated with reasoning, collide. From a biological standpoint, humans are inherently designed to prioritize “feeling” before engaging in “reasoning.” The level of Emotional Intelligence (EI) competence in an individual hinges on the prevailing dominance of either the emotional or reasoning brain in responding to external stimuli. EI represents the constant seesaw battle between emotions and reasoning as they vie for control over one’s behavior.
Analyzing a leader’s response to external stimuli provides insights into their emotional intelligence (EI) competency. Demonstrating impulsivity and erratic behavior signifies a lower EI, where the dominance of the limbic brain is apparent. Conversely, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor during challenging situations indicates the application of reasoning to influence behavior, with the neocortex pacifying the demands of the limbic brain.
Qualities of High and Low EI in leaders
High Emotional Intelligence
Elevated levels of: self-awareness (understanding personal strengths and weaknesses), a profound sense of mindfulness (recognizing emotions and mental predispositions as they arise), empathy (prioritizing understanding before action), innate charisma and charm, mental equilibrium (deliberative decision-making), unwavering focus and concentration, cognitive prowess (efficiently collecting, processing, and acting on information), visionary mindset (swift learning and forward momentum, leaving the past behind), optimism, a proclivity for positive thinking, objectivity (establishing boundaries in daily tasks), self-discipline (goal-oriented rather than mood-driven), open-mindedness, articulate and confident communication, self-motivation, active listening skills, transparency (lack of vindictiveness), a supportive nature (mentoring and coaching others), adept social etiquette (effortless interpersonal relationships), influential leadership by example, positive non-verbal communication abilities, logical thinking, and resilience.
Low Emotional Intelligence
Inability to: Regulate personal emotions and feelings, cultivate and sustain friendships or positive relationships, effectively handle adverse situations, demonstrate empathy, actively listen and engage in reasoning with others, avoid persistent conflicts and arguments, accept responsibility instead of placing constant blame on others, effectively manage stress and anger, make thoughtful decisions and assert oneself, prioritize reasoning before drawing conclusions, release past mistakes without harboring grudges, navigate conflicts, comprehend the repercussions of one’s actions on others, assume responsibility, exhibit flexibility, maintain a sense of security rather than feeling easily intimidated, refrain from victimizing others, and establish social connections.
Levels of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence (EI) begins with an individual, evolves into a collective “We,” and ultimately solidifies as “Us.” The development of EI initiates at the personal level, succeeding there before extending to the group level, and finally, becoming ingrained throughout the entire organization. This progression underscores the importance of leaders cultivating EI competency within themselves before anticipating its embodiment by the team or organization.
Conclusion
The construction of an emotionally intelligent organization stands as a paramount intellectual asset for any company. A workforce with high emotional competence represents a formidable source of sustainable competitive advantage.
Opt to be the contemporary leader who actively contributes to positive change within your organization by mastering and institutionalizing this influential skill.
