Daniel Goleman introduced the term Emotional Intelligence (EI) in 1995 with his book of the same name. Based on his extensive research and interviews with leaders across over 200 organisations, he concludes that although IQ and technical skills are important traits of good leaders, EI is twice as important in determining the high performance of great leaders.
EI consists of five elements:
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Self-awareness: Knows one’s strengths, weaknesses, emotions, goals and values - and the impact they have on others. The hallmarks of self-awareness include self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, a self-deprecating sense of humour, and a thirst for constructive criticism.
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Self-regulation: The ability to control and redirect impulsive emotions, to be able to think before acting. The hallmarks of this component are trustworthiness, integrity, comfort with ambiguity and change.
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Motivation: Being driven to achieve for the sake of the achievement. People with motivation have a passion for the work itself and for new challenges, have unflagging energy to improve, and are optimistic in the face of setbacks.
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Empathy: Being able to consider others’ feelings. People who are empathetic to others can attract and retain talent, have the ability to develop others and be sensitive to cross-culture differences.
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Social skill: Managing relationships to move people in desired directions through influence and persuasion. The hallmarks include effectiveness in leading changes, persuasiveness, extensive networking, and expertise in building and leading teams.
References
- Goleman, D. (2015). HBR’s 10 must reads on emotional intelligence. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.