The need for emotional intelligence

Leaders walk an emotional tightrope. On the one hand, they must challenge people to work through the cognitive conflict and, often, the sense of loss that accompanies the deep learning required to achieve change for improvement. On the other, they must mobilise people to commit to the change process and to work together towards a shared vision. For this they need emotional intelligence.

People have always needed emotional intelligence, but in complex times people need it in spades. The culture of change … is, by definition, rife with anxiety, stress, and ambiguity (and correspondingly with the exhilaration of creative breakthroughs). It should come as no surprise that the most effective leaders are not the smartest in an IQ sense but are those who combine intellectual brilliance with emotional intelligence.

Fullan, 2001a, page 71

Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2002) say that emotionally intelligent (EI) leaders create “resonance” – they are attuned to both their own and other people’s feelings and are able to guide them in the right direction.

Under the guidance of an EI leader, people feel a mutual comfort level. They share ideas, learn from one another, make decisions collaboratively, and get things done. They form an emotional bond that helps them stay focused even amid profound change and uncertainty. Perhaps most important, connecting with others at an emotional level makes work more meaningful. We all know what it feels like to share in the excitement of a moment, the elation of completing a job well done. These feelings drive people to do things together that no individual would or could do. And it is the EI leader who knows how to bring about that kind of bonding.

page 25

Goleman et al. (2002) identify four intertwined domains of emotional intelligence, each of which adds a crucial set of skills for resonant leadership:

• Self-awareness: Self-aware people recognise and understand their own emotions. Self-awareness lays the foundation for the other domains.
• Self-management: Because they are attuned to their inner feelings, self-aware leaders are able to manage them. For example, they are able to control their temper.
• Social awareness: Social awareness includes the ability to empathise with others, allowing leaders to understand the appropriate thing to say or do in the moment and to sense the shared values and priorities that drive a group. “Empathy, which includes listening and taking other people’s perspectives, allows leaders to tune in to the emotional channels between people that create resonance. And staying attuned lets leaders fine-tune their message to keep it in synch” (page 38).
• Relationship management: Leaders who understand their own vision, values, and emotions and who are attuned to those of the group can then use their relationship management skills to catalyse resonance.

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