A noteworthy quality that has been demonstrated by leaders for ages has been high intelligence, but there is more than just being “smart” that goes along with this. Emotional intelligence (or EI) is another method of intellect, and it is defined as “a group of mental abilities that help people to recognize their own feelings and those of others” (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). This type of intelligence has not been recognized or taken seriously until recently, which has drastically hampered some leader’s ability to influence groups. According to lesson 2, “Leaders who can empathize and get along with others are more successful than those who cannot” (PSU, L.2, 2016).
According to Business 2 Community, there are five qualities that go side by side to being a leader who demonstrations emotional intelligence, these are; showing empathy, building relationships, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, focusing on the positive and presence in the workplace. The two that I find to be the most important in particular are as followed;
Empathy is commonly described as, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. A successful leader has to be able to show empathy for his or her employees/followers or else they will never truly be respected. Empathetic leaders, “help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it” (Mind Tools, 2015). I have unfortunately dealt with lack of empathy in more than one job. My boss will ask me to do something extra for her time and time again, which will sometimes cut into my personal life/time. She cannot seem to pay attention to my body language and realize that although I am saying yes (because I really need this job) I DO NOT WANT TO DO IT! Building relationships is the second most important quality that is needed in a strong leader. If leaders want employees to respect and work hard for their company than they need to let them know that they care for them as a human being. It makes a world of difference when your higher up’s make an effort to remember individual’s names and make small talk.
References
Goldstein, J. (2016, January 19). 5 Qualities of Leaders with High Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved January 20, 2016, from http://www.business2community.com/leadership/5-qualities-leaders-high-emotional-intelligence-01430357#xG5lxOFLHIjgHOHC.99
Northouse, Peter G. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA., SAGE Publications, Inc
Pennsylvania State University (2016). Leadership in Work Settings—PSYCH 485. Online course lesson. Penn State World Campus. The Pennsylvania State University.
Psychology Today. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/emotional-intelligence