Essay Sample on Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership

Emotional intelligence refers to the capacity of an individual to perceive, monitor and evaluate the emotions. To some scholars, emotional intelligence can get learned and made stronger while to others the concept is an inborn feature. Peter Salovey and John Mayer are some of the researchers that have defined the concept in an influential article emotional intelligence. To them, the concept refers to a subset of social intelligence that incorporates the ability to manage ones own and others emotions and feelings, to categorize them and use the information to aid the thinking and the actions of an individual (Cote, 2014).

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The concept of emotional intelligent can also get understood by understanding the two examples which are its essential elements. The two example or aspects associated with it involves reasoning with the emotions and understanding the emotions. When reasoning with the emotions, one tries to utilize the emotions to perceive accurately. The act helps in prioritizing what the individual can focus on and then react to. For instance, individuals emotionally react to things that capture their attention. In understanding the emotions, one tries to interpret the emotions of an individual. For instance, at the place of work, if the boss is angry then he/she might not be happy with your work or maybe he/ she had a problem with a spouse at home.

The concept of emotional quotient vs. the traditional intelligence quotient

The two concepts can get discussed when considering the working environment in realizing the best performance. The individuals even those who have high intelligence quotient do not have the capability to perform well when they get involved in the everyday monotonous or repetitive activities. This happens especially when they get obliged to follow strict orders and the restrictions that get imposed on them by the supervisors that show how the requirements on how to perform the jobs or how to respond to specific situations. This will affect the performance of the individuals with the intelligence quotient. The intelligence quotient is thus the concept that incorporates assessment tin regards to the ones capabilities to observe, analyze and then interpret the situations (Hur et al., 2011). On the other hand, the emotional quotient is highly dependent on the performance of an individual. The individuals with the concept often try to form part of the organization or their place of work. The individuals will try to acquire the standards, norms and even the customs of the organizations that will lead to the enhancement of the performance. By utilizing their considerate abilities, they try to meet the targets set by the managers of the organizations and thus the results are the improved performance.

Why leaders need emotional intelligence

Leaders need emotional intelligence to manage their daily activities due to the following; emotional intelligence is essential for self-awareness. This will enable them to identify any form of emotion as it happens. The skill helps the leaders to get a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses which will enable them to handle the problems and any complications in the future. Without this skill, the leaders will have problems in solving emotional responses with their associates or recognize them late when they are already out of hand.

The leaders also need the concept of the emotional management. Ones the leaders are aware of the emotions, they need to manage them. They thus are in a position to regulate and stay in control and thus they do not rush into hasty decisions. The leaders who do not possess such skills will often are victims of making wrong decisions that affect their performance.

Elements of emotional intelligence that the leaders use to improve their effectiveness

One of the essential elements that enhance their effectiveness is the ability to appraise others emotions and also portray personal emotion. Its always the individuals to develop and maintain the supportive relationships with others and thus enhancing their effectiveness. Besides, the leaders should have extensive knowledge about the emotions that will enable them to anticipate the emotional reactions in various scenarios. For instance, they should know that their associates are of good cheer if given a raise and may feel dissatisfied if given a bad performance. Also, the leaders should recognize that the emotions are significant in the influence of the behavior and the cognition of others and that emotional regulation has a positive effect on the performance and the general interactions (Hur et al., 2011).

Strategies used by the organizations to enhance the emotional intelligence of leaders for positive performance

The organizations can enhance the emotional intelligence of the leaders positively by using various strategies. One of the strategies employed by the organizations is facilitation. Facilitating communication is more than just listening or leading a conversation but involves hearing, integrating and then suggesting something to move the conversation forward. The leaders should use this strategy to keep their associates moving when they hold meetings and the integration of the communication are essential so that the leader can comprehend the different points of view of the different people.

Another strategy is questioning. In several instances, the leaders may need the information but are not sure in which way they can get them. Also, the employs may have the information but do not know the channels to impart the information. The leaders can thus open the lines of communications through asking good questions that include open, close and personal questions (Cote, 2011). The strategy will enhance the communications of information between the managers or the leaders with their employees and thus improving the effectiveness of the leadership.

References

Cote, S. (2014). Emotional intelligence in organizations. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav.1(1), 459-488.

Hur, Y., van den Berg, P. T., & Wilderom, C. P. (2011). Transformational leadership as a mediator between emotional intelligence and team outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(4), 591-603.