Emotional Intelligence for Organizational Success

Introduction

Emotional intelligence is a reflection of the ability to read and comprehend other people in socially set context, skilfully detect the nuances of diverse emotional reactions in addition to utilizing such knowledge in influencing others via emotional regulations and controls. Thus, it is a representation of critically concrete competency in enhancement of effective leadership and team work in firms today. The metamorphosis of diverse business organizations all the way from rational machine to dynamic and unpredictable organisms has been a mind opener for managers in viewing the transformation of the actual structures with interdependent, reactive and rational processes. In the bid for the organizations to gain in addition to maintaining a competitive advantage, it is increasingly essential for the organization inclusive of every employee to adapt to the alternating environments both externally and internally. Whenever we think of a perfect leader, we tend to picture an individual who never loses his temper no matter the weight of the issue at hand. Someone may also tend to think of an individual who enjoys the complete trust of their staff members, listens to their team, is easily approachable, and always makes decisions that are both informed and well thought out. Also, when others think about intelligence, most of the times, they picture mathematicians solving equations, philosophers expounding on wise principles or a novelist writing down great literary pieces. Looking for further insights on Hardware and Software Fundamentals? Click here.

However, intelligence takes many forms one of them being the ability to comprehend and further manage their emotions while also leveraging emotions appropriately as dictated by situations known as emotional intelligence. This also has to do one’s awareness of and sensitivity towards the emotions of others. In this review, we look at the importance of emotional intelligence for leaders and what leaders can do to improve their emotional intelligence. The ability of a person to comprehend and also manage their own emotions together with those of the people around them is referred to as emotional intelligence (EI). Individuals whose degree of emotional intelligence is high always know what they are feeling, what their emotions mean and how other people can be affected by those emotions. For each and every leader, having emotional intelligence is very important for success. A leader who shouts at his team when stressed is not as likely to succeed as the leader who stays under control and assesses the situation in a calm manner. Daniel Golman an American Psychologist identifies five different elements of emotional intelligence; Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, Social Skills. Even though the emotional intelligence of some people is more when compared to that of others, this is a trait that can be definitely measured and further developed. It is possible for an individual to learn to be independent emotionally and gain such attributes that allow them to have emotional intelligence through connecting core emotions, accepting them and being aware of how they affect their actions and decisions.

Outline of the topic

Emotional intelligence is a very powerful tool for improving critical work relationships, exceeding goals and creating a productive and healthy organizational and workplace culture. For any leader, being able to relate to the behaviours and even challenges of emotional intelligence on workplace performance is an immense advantage in the building of an exceptional team (Antonakis et al 2009, p.248). Deficiencies in communication that bring about doubt and disengagement are some of the common factors that bring about issues of retention.

Whenever a leader isn’t emotionally intelligent, the following tends to happen;

It is common for leaders to face situations that are stressful. Those leaders who are not as emotionally intelligent have the tendency of acting out whenever faced by situations that are stressful and this is because they are not capable of managing their emotions (Côté and Hideg, 2011, p.53-71). They tend to become prone to behaviours like blaming, yelling and being aggressive passively. This has the potential of creating an even more stressful environment whereby workers are always walking on eggshells in a bid to prevent the next outburst.

Failure to be intelligent emotionally tends to inhibit collaboration. Whenever a leader cannot handle their own emotions and reacts in a manner that is not appropriate, it is automatic that their employees feel nervous about the contribution of their ideas, for fear of the probable response from their leader (Bono and Illies 2006, p.320).

Those leaders whose emotional intelligence is low do not necessarily lash out at their employees. Failure of being intelligent emotionally can also imply an inability to address situations that have the potential of being fraught with emotion.it is common for leaders to deal with conflict as such; those leaders who do not have clues about the emotions of others could very probably have a hard time recognizing conflict and effectively dealing with its resolution.

On the contrary those leaders, who are emotionally intelligent, have the following advantages;

Those leaders who are intelligent emotionally foster environments that are safe, where employees are comfortable of voicing their opinions and taking calculated risks. Collaborating to work together is not just a goal; it is an aspect that gets woven into the culture of an organization.

Whenever a leader has a high level of emotional intelligence, they leverage emotions for the good of an organization (Côté and Hideg, 2011, p.59). Often, leaders have to act as agents of change, as such, if a leader is aware of the possible reaction towards change, they are in a better position to anticipate the change and plan on the most appropriate ways of introducing and further carrying out the change.

Leaders who are emotionally intelligent don’t have the tendency of taking things personally. As such they are in a better position to forge on with their plans with zero worries such plans would have on their egos.

Critical reflection on methods

First, the empirical literature on emotional intelligence is organized into three different streams, emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness, emotional intelligence and leadership style and emotional intelligence and emergence leadership. Empirical literature on emotional intelligence implies articles that have been published in the major English language oriented regions like Europe and North America where such journals are more likely to appear. This review specifically focuses on normative empirical studies of emotional intelligence in which leadership is the unit of analysis (Antonakis et al 2009, p.248). These research findings are then synthesized into a model of factors that can help build on emotional intelligence. This model interprets the research streams common findings and blends in the complementary ones. Additionally, the model also makes an attempt to build a theoretical framework for the findings in these streams. Finally, the potential paths for future research are identified. These paths are centred on then effects emotional intelligence has on the style of leadership, emergence leadership and effectiveness of leadership. In general, this review hopes to make a contribution to the understanding of past literature, a model of current thinking and a sense of future directions. Owing to the fact that in this study I partly relied on journals, some of the information needed was missing or unclear which necessitated in-depth research via other materials such as published books and online materials in gathering adequate qualitative and quantitative information. However, this does not discredit the fact that both journals and online materials provided some useful information in rendering the research topic a success. A selection of the most suitable materials relevant to my topic of research was keenly undertaken. In for instance experimental conditions, researchers most of the times have ultimate control over different situations and could use the techniques in distinguishing the placebo from treatment effects.

Literature Review

The available literature on emotional intelligence and leadership is vast and ranges from broad-brush explorations to in-depth case studies across different firms, industries and organizations. An organizing template for the work is created in this section. Even though there are a number of probable templates, this one is organized around three different research themes, leadership style, emergence leadership and leadership effectiveness. Goleman (….), suggests that the difference between a leader who is truly effective and the rest is made by emotional intelligence. Even though technical skills and intelligence are also important for leaders, they are just threshold capabilities, that is, basically, entry level requirements for executive positions (Bono and Illies 2006, p.320). Leaders who are successful are always well aware that they are not perfect. They are aware of their weaknesses and strengths and with this knowledge; they always strive for improvement continuously (Antonakis et al 2009, p.249). A manager who fails to acknowledge their blind spots and flaws, and tries to do each and every task by themselves, fails to learn from their mistakes, and is not able to delegate soon gets derailed. Any leader who is self-aware is able to work to the point that they overcome their weaknesses either through the learning of new skills and personal development or through empowering other individuals and utilizing their skills. If one is self-aware, they very well know how they feel and they also know how their actions and emotions can affect those people around them. There are some things that can be done to improve a person’s self-awareness:

Keeping of a journal – journals help an individual improve their self-awareness. If someone is able to take a few minutes each day to jolt down their thoughts, it is possible for this to move one to an even higher level of self-awareness. Slowing down – whenever one experiences strong emotion like anger, it is always prudent for them to slow down, reflect and examine why. No matter what kind of situation one is in, they can always choose the way to react.

Here, motivation is also as important. Setting goals which one intends to work towards and setting standards that are high for one implies acknowledging the possibility of coming through obstacles along the way. For a leader, this implies challenging themselves constantly, finding ways to circumnavigate obstacles and always picking themselves up whenever things go wary. Leaders who are self-motivated consistently work towards their goals and are known for setting standards that are extremely high for their quality of work (Eberly and Fong 2013, p.696). There are several things that one can do so as to improve their motivation and these include;

Re-examining why someone is doing the job they are doing – forgetting what someone really loves about their career is always very easy. A good leader should always take time every now and then and reflect on why they really wanted the job they have.in the event that one is not happy about their role and they are struggling to remember why they wanted it, starting at the root always helps one look into a situation from a new perspective. It is always good to ensure that one`s goals are always energizing and fresh (Eberly and Fong 2013, p.699). Knowing where you stand – a good leader should determine how motivated they are to lead. If one needs to increase their motivation to lead, by knowing where they stand, they are directed towards those resources that could prove helpful. Always find something good and be hopeful – leaders who are motivated always optimistic and this is regardless of the problems they face. Even though adopting a mind-set like this one may take practice, it`s always well worth the effort.

Each and every time an individual faces a challenge or even a failure, they should always try to find at least one good thing about the situation. This could be the smallest thing like a new contact and even something with long-term effects like an important lesson that has been learned.in each and every situation, they is always something positive. Self-regulation is also very important if an individual has to manage their emotions as a leader. Leadership is no easy task and as such, it is very important if one is able to stay calm, deal with pressure and always stay optimistic. Those leaders who have the tendency of regulating themselves are not known for making rush and emotional decisions, attacking others verbally, stereotyping others or compromising their values (Boyatzis et al 2012, p.192). Self-regulation entails staying in control. The flexibility of a leader and commitment to personal accountability are also covered in this element of emotional intelligence according to Goleman. One can improve their abilities to self-regulate through;

Knowing their values – does one have a clear idea of where they absolutely will not compromise? Does one know those values that are most important to them? A good leader should spend some quality time examining their “code of ethics.” If one knows what is important to them, then one won`t probably have to think twice whenever they are faced with a moral or ethical decision – they will make the most appropriate choice (Edelman and Knippenberg 2017, p.748). Holding one accountable – if one has the tendency of blaming others whenever something goes wrong, they should stop. It is very important for a leader to make a commitment towards admitting to their mistakes and facing the consequences, no matter what they entail. When one always holds themselves accountable, they quickly learn to respect the individuals around them and also probably sleep better at night. Practice calmness – it is always prudent for a leader to be very aware of how they act each and every time they are in a challenging situation. Does one relieve their stress by shouting at other people? The deep breathing exercise of calming oneself should always be practiced. One should also always try to write down all the negative things that they intend to say, rip it up and throw it away. It is always better for someone to express these emotions on paper and not showing them to others is better when compared to speaking them aloud to the rest of your team. This even puts one in a better position to challenge their reactions so as to ensure that they are fair (Boyatzis et al 2012, p.195).

It is also very important for leaders to have empathy if they are to manage a successful organization or team. A leader with empathy has the ability of putting him or herself in the shoes of another person. Through this, they are able to help develop other people on their team, challenge other individuals who may be acting unfairly, give feedback that is constructive and listen to each and every individual who needs empathy. If a leader wants to earn the loyalty and respect of their team, they should show their team members that they care by being empathetic. An individual can improve their empathy through;

Putting oneself in the position of another person – it is always easy to support a personal point of view because after all it is yours (Edelman and Knippenberg 2017, p.753). A good leader should however take their time to look into situations from the perspectives of other people. Paying good attention to body language – different people have different tendencies whenever they are communicating to others. Some will move their feet back and forth while others will cross their arms and even most probably bite their lips. An individual’s body language communicates to others how one really feels about a situation and whether the message being passed is positive or negative. In leadership roles, learning to read the body languages of others is a real asset; this is because one will be in a better position to determine how an individual truly feels. This gives a person the opportunity of responding in a manner that is appropriate. Responding to feelings – it is always good to address the feelings of others and this is especially whenever one feels a level of disappointment in another person. For example a person may request their assistant to work late and even though they agree, if one hears the disappointment in their voice, it is very important for a good leader to respond by addressing their feelings (Hur et al 2011, p.594). The assistant should be left to know that their willingness to work for extra hours is very much appreciated and that you also are just as frustrated about staying at the office late into the night. If possible, one should figure the way through which, in the future, late nights in work will be an issue no more.

Those leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are known to be superb communicators. Their openness to hearing good news is the same as their openness to hearing bad news and are experts at getting their teams to support them and also be excited about new projects and missions (Brotheridge 2010, p.140). Leaders with good social skills are also known to be good in resolving of conflicts in a manner that is diplomatic and management of change. These individuals are rarely satisfied with leaving things the same way they found them and as such, they do not just sit back and complacently make others do the work: they set examples that are good with their own behaviours. A leader can build their social skills through;

Learning about resolution of conflicts – a good leader should be aware of the most appropriate tools they can use to resolve any arising conflicts between their customers, team members or vendors. Equipping oneself with skills of resolving conflicts is very important for any leader who wants to success in his/her activities. Improving one`s skills of communication – how well does a person communicate? Master the art of praising others – it is very possible for a leader to inspire the loyalty of their team by simply giving praise whenever it is earned. Even though learning how to praise others is a fine effort, it is always well worth the effort (Hur et al 2011, p.599).

Leadership that is effective is about being effective in three different ways: leading the organization, leading others, and leading oneself. Every successful leader very well knows that they need other people because after all leadership is not as meaningful if one does not have some sort of followership (Higgs and Aitken 2013, p.814). For a leader, being personally motivated is not adequate. A good leader needs to unlock other people`s potential. This would mean having a good understanding of what really matters to people, their motivations and how the motivations are able to relate to the organizations purpose. Because not everyone is the same, having a good social skills is very important. Leaders who are successful have a good understanding of the need to be adaptable and flexible as well as being able to read and understand others (Brotheridge 2010, p.148).

Leadership emergence

This refers to how good a leader is able to influence their group. Presently, there is a steady rise in the satisfaction of employees with the development of a great leader – those leaders who are not as good have employees who are not as satisfied with their jobs and those employees who are great have employees who are more committed and happier with their jobs. Zenger and Folkman identified different ways through which leaders can be able to harness the power of emotion, and this makes an emotional impact on their different employees and this is helpful as it helps them connect emotionally in a better way with others, and hence making them even more effective leaders (Higgs and Aitken 2013, p.827).

Those leaders who have a high emotional intelligence do not;

Loose their control: These leaders will not lose their temper nor lash out at their teams during their meetings. They also do not send messages that are impulsive to their staff that they will not have to apologize for the following day. They have mastered the art of thinking before they act and they also know how to calm themselves appropriately whenever they are in situations that are either anxious or stressful. Some of them even go to the extent of harnessing the upside of stress. Swallowing of their emotions – when one is good in maintaining their cool it does not mean that they are robots without emotions. Leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence do experience frustrations, stress, disappointments and other types of negative emotions. There however exists a difference in leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence in that they are able to recognize their feelings concurrently as they are happening, and they are also capable of expressing them in a manner that is appropriate and constructively in their workplace (Brotheridge 2010, p.147). They also do not allow failure to get them down –even though “fail fast” is an IT mantra, those leaders who have an high emotional intelligence are most of the times good in looking at the bright side of news that are not appealing and learning from disappointments and mistakes. The reason behind this is that their work intrinsically motivates them (Fritz and Knippenberg 2017, p.1018). Their curiosity is fuelled by their work and they are even connected to purposes that are higher. These leaders stay motivated because their eyes are set on the long term prize and not quick wins. Experiments are very valuable and not all experiments are successful. Hire on technical skills alone – leaders who have a higher emotional intelligence tend to easily look past the resume so as to bring out the emotional qualities and soft skills that will make a candidate a very good fit for the culture of a company. The reason behind this is that they are more adept at reading and observing people on an emotional level that is higher. The bottom line is that if an individual has a high level of emotional intelligence, they look more into the inner person when looking for persons to fill new positions. Do not say yes to each and everything – if one is intelligent emotionally, it does not mean that they are people pleasers or yes men or women. Because such leaders understand their weaknesses and strengths in a good way, they do not always say yeas to each and everything. They have a high level of confidence in their abilities and also own up to all those areas where they need help and they are also not afraid of asking for it. During debates, they hold their grounds. In those instances that they do not agree with you, they inform you. These are the factors that make leaders with high emotional intelligence to be more trustworthy (Antonakis et al 2009, p.248). Interrupt – individuals who talk over others on conference calls really need to work on improving their empathy skills. Leaders with a high level of emotional intelligence give their staff their full and undivided attention, listening to their viewpoints and always seeking understand their perspectives. Avoid conflicts – often, confrontations with fellow members of staff tend to be tough. However with high emotional intelligence people are able to face situations that are tough and do not shy away from conversations that are difficult. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent use conflicts as opportunities for building deeper trust, establishing common grounds and further strengthening their working conditions with others (Fritz and Knippenberg 2017, p.1022). Pile on – a strong self-worth and motivation are characteristics of individuals with a high level of emotional intelligence and this comes from within them and they even tend to be more fulfilled in their roles. Because they are more sensitive and empathetic to other people’s emotions, they have a higher wanting of seeing their teams being as fulfilled and happy as they are. Whenever someone in their team is stressed or struggling and consequently take appropriate steps towards ensuring that ensure that the load is eased not piling on their work. Hold grudges – people who are emotionally intelligent do what they have to do so as to manage the stress and anxiety in their working environment and also in their lives. For people with high emotional intelligence, holding on to grudges is not meaningful. They will also protect themselves from all sources of anger no matter the costs involved. Shoot down ideas that are new – an employee should never be afraid of presenting ideas that are new to their bosses who have a high level of emotional intelligence, even if it would possibly go against an idea of theirs. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent have confidence in their own decisions. They also tend to be critical thinkers. They will hear out their employees and be open to taking risks and changing course for the good of the team and the project.

The more a leader manages each of the above areas, the higher their emotional intelligence. To be effective, leaders need to have a good understanding of how well their actions and emotions affect those people around them. A leader will be more successful if they are able to relate to and work well with others. As such all leaders need to take time to work on their motivation, self-awareness, self-regulation and also social skills. Working on these areas is essential for the success of any leader. Leaders who lack in emotional intelligence are not able to gauge the expectations, wants and needs of those they lead in an effective way. Those leaders who have the tendency of reacting from their emotions without taking time to filter them bring about mistrust amongst their members of staff and this in a big way jeopardizes working relationships. Reacting with emotions that are erratic is always detrimental to the overall culture, positive feelings and attitude towards a company and its mission. As such, good leaders need to be self-aware and further understand the impact of their non-verbal and verbal communication on a team (Costa and McCrae 1992). Each and every successful leader also has a good understanding of the way to go so as to inspire others. Leadership implies having a good vision and keeping the bigger picture in mind at all times. When a leader has a good vision, they are in a better position to articulate the big picture to others. Good leader’s area actually capable of helping people to see their roles in that big picture (Bracket and Mayer 2003, p.1147). They actually go to the extent of holding their organizations and even themselves accountable to those goals. For them, personal success and gain are not as important as the goal. It is very important for leaders to build relationships that are strong with stakeholders, partners, competitors and boards if they are to reach the goals of an organization. They demonstrate some level of astuteness politically, having a good recognition that in organizations, influence and power do not work in hierarchical lines that are neat. Through networking and influencing others, they ensure success. Relationship building, accountability and inspiration are required in the mastering of leadership of organizations. For one to develop their leadership skills, they do not have to be robots and turn off their emotions. Individuals should rather focus on both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Effectiveness in leadership is about thinking strategically, having good knowledge and technical skills. Emotional intelligence is also very essential for any good leader (Costa and McCrae 1992). In a detailed study that involved the analysis of competency models in 188 different companies, and a further extensive study of what ‘star performers’ in these organizations were made of, a number of conclusions were drawn by Goleman and his team and these include:

Outstanding performance is driven by intellect and this is especially strong creative and analytical skills. Cognitive skills like long term vision and big picture thinking. Emotional Intelligence proved to be twice as important as technical skills and IQ as an ingredient of excellent performance for jobs at different levels.

It has also been established that EI is crucial in numerous different roles ranging from raising of funds to management of a product to delivery of service. Emotional Intelligence is required in any task that requires someone to work well with others so as to effectively perform in high-pressure situations and to deal with emotive issues in a calm manner. So as to adequately understand the mechanics of a job, one needs to have a good understanding of those they work with and of themselves (Bracket and Mayer 2003, p.1149). The more senior an individual becomes, the more the need to work well with others and effectively deal with pressure becomes marked. According to (…) emotional intelligence factors are the reason for the differences between average and star performers and not cognitive abilities. The need for and rise of emotional intelligence has been accentuated by the new world of work. Increased quantity and speed of information, greater competition, working across regions and sites has meant that people have to cope with levels of change that are unprecedented and also increased levels of pressure in their work areas (Hayes 2009, p.425). The expectations people have towards their leaders and organizations have been altered. Today, members of staff in an organization need to feel that their manager is worthy of their followership and not just following them because of their role. As such managers and leaders all have to be more flexible, more creative, more responsive and more adept if they are to survive. They also need to maintain their own momentum and motivation in situations that are both challenging and difficult. It is often argued that EI tends to be both underhanded and manipulative. Examples are usually cited of individuals developing their EI and using it so as to influence other people’s behaviours in ways that are not helpful or ways that serve personal purposes rather than for achieving the goals of an organization. To prevent this from happening, it is very important for organizations and individuals to be clear on their values. Such values should be at the heart of the decisions made in one`s role and this includes how you work with – and consequently influence other people (Bracket and Mayer 2003, p.1152). Such Machiavellian tendencies can only be held in check if organizations and individuals are clear on their values. Having an inherent sense of goals and values is critical for self-awareness and reinforces the need for using EI in the development of an individual and in supporting others. In all job settings where there is a leader at the top, this dynamic applies. That could be the head nurse in an emergency room, the sous chef in a restaurant kitchen, a foreman on a factory floors, a boardroom`s chief executive officer, or even a high school teacher in a classroom. A crucial attribute of different leaders is the capability to act as team players. This has to do with getting along with the diverse cultural groups of the employees at the place of work in addition to employee empowerment. In proper display of these behaviours, different individuals are able to build amicable relationships attributing to high performers in organizational service providers (Hayes 2009, p.425). Each and every leader needs to be able to adapt to different and changing circumstances in their personal roles, in the roles of their team members or even in their workplaces. Emotional Intelligence enables an individual to be more adaptable in a society. Having a sound awareness of, understanding and managing of one’s emotions and of those around you helps one navigate in a manner that is simple in the ever changing world and as such becoming a successful leader in it (Grandev 2012, p.97). Those leaders who are observed to be most effective are similar in that they have a high degree of emotional intelligence. And this does not imply that technical skills and IQ are not relevant. However, if an individual takes a role in leadership and has a high degree of emotional intelligence, there is a higher likelihood that they would be more successful and effective. For one to be an outstanding leader adaptability is key and this is because emotions are always in a flux (Cabello et al 2016, p.1487). Whenever it comes to the workplace and this is especially in businesses, the bottom line is always crucial and executives and managers are often held responsible for failures and success. Nine key traits have been identified for the most successful leaders. They include;

They work to motivate and inspire other people around them. Their focus is mainly on collaboration between the members of a team and this builds a synergy and an experience for employees that are good (Hayes 2009, p.425). They are good role models, they “walk the talk,” and act with honesty and integrity with each and every team member. They develop and further support others, further, they always celebrate their employees’ success and also encourage them to learn even more and further develop their skills (Hayes 2009, p.426). They always work towards building relationships and this communicates across that each and every member of a group is highly valued and that the concerns they have are important and will be adequately addressed.

Critical Discussion

Our behaviours are normally reactions to our emotions biologically (Johnson and Spector 2007, p.321). Our positive or negative responses to different stimuli or emotions provide us meaning that we use as a basis for our individual behaviours. For example, blood rushes throughout an individual’s body whenever they experience emotions of anger and this is normally as a way of preparing for an attack. A rush of hormones brings about this flight or fights response, like adrenaline, that pushes individuals to take actions that are vigorous and sometimes rush (Cabello et al 2016, p.1488). Possessing the skills of navigating situations whereby individuals become excessively angry effectively could be lifesaving. Without doubt, emotions are usually components of human processing that normally pervade different aspects of human interactions, behaviours and understanding. There are some methods that focus on possibilities and opportunities instead of problems, celebrating those events that are successful, being curious about the career aspirations of individual employees and holding their hands so that they can be able to achieve them. Something that is even more interesting is that whenever there is a truly great leader, they are more capable of doubling the profits of a company. Many people could think that emotional intelligence does not have much to do with the bottom line of a company, however, when a company has a good leader who is in possession and further utilizes effective emotional intelligence, there is a higher probability that a company would benefit in a manner that is much bigger in terms of the satisfaction of their employees and engagement to profits and revenue (Cabello et al 2016, p.1487). In most contexts, leadership skills are fairly recognizable. A good leader is that individual who takes initiatives, who has a vision, and who can plan, strategize and accomplish goals so as to achieve their vision. These individuals display these skills whenever they are working in a team setting and the rest of the members of a team have a tendency of appreciating such skills. The kind of dynamics between managers and their members of staff is the same type of relationship encouraged between couples in their relationships, always maintaining a positive perspective and validating the positions of the other even when there are disagreements, and being respectful intentionally even at those instances when it is hard. It is a dynamic that in most instances has been observed to work. Through it, each and every person that is involved feels appreciated (Kleef et al, 2009, p.567). If individuals take the right approach, they can possibly develop their emotional intelligence and EI has been observed to increase with age, the old fashioned word for this phenomenon being maturity. However, even with maturity, some individuals still need to enhance their EI. Scientifically, EI is born in the brain`s limbic systems neurotransmitters, which govern impulses, feelings and drives. It`s through motivation, feedback and extended practice that the limbic system learns best (Steel et al 2008, p.142). If a person intends to work on their EI, they need to be committed towards breaking old habits and establishing new ones through practice. According to Daniel Goleman, regardless of what leaders set out to do, whether mobilizing teams to action or creating a strategy, success is largely dependent on how the activity is carried out. If a leader fails in driving of emotions in the correct direction, even if they do each and everything else correctly, nothing will work as well as it could. Respect, appreciation and enthusiasm together with validation and emotional support have the potential of being contagious and this is because positivity begets positivity (Rossen and Kranzler 2009, p.63). Because there exists a strong correlation between emotions and productivity and performance, teams with members who feel supported and appreciated emotionally through their successes and challenges will be more productive and happier. Because they will want to celebrate their achievements, they will work even harder and more effectively together to be successful. Teamwork especially when the team is trying to achieve goals that are long-term, difficult to achieve and sometimes even lofty can bring about emotions that are intense, like anger, frustration, disappointment or worry (if things are going well) or anticipation, excitement, shared celebration and enthusiasm (in the event that things are going on well). A good example is the vivid display of emotions from teams that are cohesive. Whenever things go wrong, they lift each other up and whenever things do not go well, they celebrate one another. All these emotions even those that are positive can lead to immense stress under circumstances that are challenging at the workplace. As such, having a good understanding of the emotions of other people and managing them appropriately is a trait that is very important for all leaders (Cavazotte and Hickman 2012, p.443). A good leader needs to spend time with different teams, not just spending time with those who report to you directly. For a good leader, it is not necessary to be the master of all trades, one however needs to have some willingness to listen to and respect the expertise of other people and also change their minds (Newcombe and Ashkanasy 2017, p.612). During the time of change, a good leader must demonstrate real empathy so at to undertake the most sensitive and difficult conversations in the workplace with sensitivity and tact.

Conclusion

The aim of this paper was to examine the importance of Emotional Intelligence for leaders and what leaders can do to improve their Emotional Intelligence. The above literature has shown that Emotional Intelligence, more like technical skills, can be enhanced via consistent and systematic approach in building of competent personal and social awareness, social, and self-management skills to the leaders. But still, the pathways in the brain with close linkage to social and emotional competence are diverse and are engaged by more cognitive learning ways. Due to the competition between the social and emotional foundations, often at times EI is laid down at the initial stages of life then reinforcement is witnessed as time moves on with synonymous self-images that bring about change over time (Cavazotte and Hickman 2012, p.443). The efficacy of teamwork is communicative, cohesive, supportive and innovative of its members. As revealed in this paper, individuals that are emotionally intelligent lend themselves, as members of a team, and are more adaptive to the above team qualities. Therefore, just as demonstrated in this paper, EI specifically is critical in enhancement of team productivity and interaction. In regard to motivation of others, leaders that emotionally intelligent usually provide the impetus for collective performance of individuals (Rosete and Ciarrochi 2005, p.389). This motivation for team members’ collective performance originates from the agement techniques, for instance, the use of stories, rituals, inspirational speech that effectively bring the spark in individuals offering an inspiration for them to accordingly perform as per the team values alongside defined goal behaviours.

Learning Statement

In undertaking this project on emotional intelligence, I’ve come to learn that regarding Emotional Intelligence there are numerous and crucial areas to take into consideration in enhancing efficacy in any one organization; it is critical to create proper organizational design alongside control systems that act as a guidance in aligning the behaviours of the employees with the values and goals of a particular firm; Empowerment of leaders and employees should be emphasized, the employees at all levels ought to be given a voice via empowerment by sharing information and proper information delegation to the people that are competent in executing them; the firm has a duty of expanding self-awareness in addition to recognizing how the behaviour and attitudes of leaders affects others alongside the overall performance and brand reputation of a firm. The employees should be encouraged to manage their emotions well and ‘read’ people and adaptively know how to deal with the emotions of others (MacCann et al 2014, p.359). The findings from this study validate the credibility of establishing the incremental validation of EI in leadership efficacy above and beyond the personality predictors and relevant abilities. Via establishment of amicable linkage between EI and leadership efficacy as well as favourable established personality predictors of effectiveness in leadership, there is accrual of a firmer and more robust foundation in attributing emotional Intelligence to overall effective managerial capability (Hayes 2009, p.428). Past studies addressing EI and leadership effectiveness have had shortcomings such as the studies were concentrated only on EI and leadership but never went a mile further to explore EI and leadership effectiveness as well as how managers can apply EI in overall efficacy of an organization. EI, as an element of Interpersonal skill, helps in management of personal feelings in addition to the emotions and moods of others. The contrast between EI and personality is that EI brings together a diverse group of abilities which brings about an explanation of how people are able to recognize and manage their emotions effectively. Regarding this, EI manipulates different social interactions and development of relationships way beyond traditional measures of personality. Hogan (1991) argued that the perception by which we view traditional theory on personality is way above the intended focus, in addition to the fact that measures emphasizing on personality alone cannot be attributed as effective in comprehending interpersonal and competence efficacy (Mayer and Salovey 1993, p.442). However, this study has broadened my thinking on the basis of the argument that other that EI, personality comprises of both an internal view (regarding on our perceptions and an external view (based on how we perceive others). Basing on the foundations of this literature, I can argue that there is a close association between EI and performance. Furthermore, there are fundamental components within EI that appear crucial for top performers such as self-awareness. As initially noted in this document, self-awareness competency is vital in maintenance of job performance in which an average of 83% of both leaders and employees in any one organization are high in self-awareness and top performers in comparison to just 2% who are bottom performers. Leaders exhibiting high EI levels are capable of dictating, determining and contributing to the overall EI of their followers; additionally, they set the emotional mood of the team which depends on their emotional state (Lewis 2013, p.225). Transformational leaders have high EI acuity contrary to transactional leaders. Transformational leaders have the capability of motivating their followers to perform over and above the expectations via providence of aspirational goals, articulation of visions and turning out to be suitable role models for their followers. Contrary to transactional style of leadership, this is mostly witnessed within business, more especially within the sales environment (Maulding et al 2012, p.23). A critical point to take home is the contentment that EI contributes to around 80-90% of the competencies that bring about a distinction between outstanding leaders in comparison to average leaders. If the aforementioned assertion is accurate, then EI if essential in the overall success of any one organization as it influences performance of the leader-follower. Emotionally self-aware leaders are capable of recognizing their innate emotional drivers, thus the ability to accurately manage alongside recognize the emotional disposition. There exists diversity in the leadership styles portrayed by different leaders, therefore, it based on this context that different leaders exhibit varying degrees of Emotional Intelligence.

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