Leadership

PSYCH 485 blog

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

by

Consider the best leader you encountered in the past or present. Was that person easy to talk to? Were they accepting of ideas regardless of your position within your company? Perhaps they were even sympathetic when you encountered hardships in work or in life? These examples are of someone who displays emotional intelligence. What is Emotional Intelligence? Salovey and Mayer describe emotional intelligence as a group of mental abilities that help people to recognize their own feelings and those of others (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). To be specific, Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and of those around you (Landry, 2019).

There was a time when demonstrating emotion and empathy was a sign of weakness, not a sign of leadership. Research into leadership has shown that emotional intelligence is a factor that contributes to effective leadership. Emotional Intelligence is now known as a relevant skill as vital to leadership as technical skills and cognitive intelligence. Lack of emotional intelligence can result in widespread issues within an organization, such as low employee morale and high turnover rate, thus increasing employee-related costs (Landry, 2019).Emotional Intelligence helps leaders by ensuring effective communication that leads to accomplishment of needs and goals, directing focus to essential matters, and understanding antecedents and consequences of moods and emotions and how they evolve and change over time (PSU WC, 2016, L. 2).

A leader hoping to gain emotional intelligence to aid them in their work should start with truthfully recognizing their emotions. If you can learn to understand your emotions, you can learn to manage them. By gaining awareness of yourself, you can gain understanding of those around you as well (Harvard, 2019). It also helps to be open to feedback from people around you, gauging your social interactions based on how your peers review you. By working to improve one’s self in the art of social interaction, they can develop the necessary skills to lead their organization to greatness.

References

Harvard Professional Development. (2019, August 26). How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved May 23, 2020, from Harvard Division of Continuing Education: https://blog.dce.harvard.edu/professional-development/how-improve-your-emotional-intelligence

Landry, L. (2019, April 03). WHY EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IS IMPORTANT IN LEADERSHIP. Retrieved May 23, 2020, from Harvard Business School: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership

Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2016). PSYCH 485 Lesson 2: Trait Approach-Emotional and Social Intelligence. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from Penn State Canvas: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2015147/modules/items/29089122

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. (1990, March 1). Emotional intelligence: Imagination, Cognition, and Personality. 185-211. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG

How the Best Built Shoes are Acquired

by

Oprah has famously said, “I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.”  If the success of one’s life is measured in the quality of the shoes he or she wears, Oprah reigns supreme.  Just how has she achieved this kind of success?  Oprah was born very poor in rural Mississippi in 1954.  She rose above labels of poor, black, female in midcentury America and carved her path to success by getting great grades in high school, winning scholarships, and then procuring her own television show.  What propelled her past the judgements attached to the color of her skin, the origin of her birth and the gender inequality assumptions of her sex?  Her ability to connect, to inspire, her willingness to be vulnerable – to be seen for who she really is. Oprah having her feet still planted firmly on the ground lends itself directly in her being humble, self-aware and someone who exemplifies great emotional intelligence.

Northouse (2016) defines emotional intelligence (EI) as the ability to expertly grasp your own and other’s emotions, and use these emotions effectively to make decisions that benefit your life and your relationships with others.  Someone with great EI guides others productively and are empathetic and conscientious (Northouse, 2016).  All of these traits can be perfectly ascribed to Oprah Winfrey.  If building quality relationships with others is a one of the measures of emotional intelligence, Oprah would be at the apex.  Jeremy Young, the author of The Age of Charisma, defines charisma as a relationship between leaders and followers (Shonfeld, 2018).  Young asserts that Oprah is “the single most charismatic person in America” (Shonfeld, 2018, para 5).  EI has its foundation from the trait theory of leadership.  Trait theory focuses on the leader themselves, and what traits a leader would possess to be considered effective in different situations (Northouse, 2016).  Arguably, Oprah embodies many of the traits positively associated with leadership, as well as knowing how to expertly apply those traits within the right situations.

William Bennis (2009) writes, “Leaders are capable of achieving their vision exactly because they are focused on their followers and feel their pain, desires and needs” (p. 65).  In 1988, Oprah started her own production company OWN, because she wanted to be in control of her show’s content and not be made to include content like her contemporaries at the time were producing referred to as “tabloid tv.”  Ratings fell, but quickly came back up (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”, (2018).  She ended up being more successful and carving her own unique niche in the tv market because she stayed true to her vision – that she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and guide them into being their most authentic selves.  She advocates shifting one’s focus or end goal from success, to service (Winfrey, n.d.). In this, she uses her emotional intelligence to go against the status quo and made something new and deeply affecting.

Carl Jung once said, “The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that fits all cases” (Goodreads, n.d.).  How unique we all are; in the way that we are raised.  We are all the sum of our experiences.  We all have found our own way either by the fault of where we started, or in spite of where we have been – it is our decision which path we move on. Oprah Winfrey came from an environment of poverty and abuse that leads many to be antisocial and disassociated (Evans, 2016).  Instead, Oprah understood that deep down we were meant to connect and care for each other – that division equals conflict and is destructive. She has used her emotional intelligence to lead us to better hearing each other, and asking another, “What is your story – let me understand you and what you have been through.”  She has shown us what really hearing someone looks like.

Her impact as an adept servant leader and her unwavering emotional intelligence she exudes has led many to call for her to run for President in 2020 – our greatest leadership position.  What greater honor and testament to what she has meant to people over the years than that kind of call to action?  Oprah leads by her heart and head, equally intelligent, equally strong.

 

Resources

Bennis, W. (2009). On becoming a leader. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Biography.com editors (2018). Oprah Winfrey biography. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/oprah-winfrey-9534419

Evans, G. W. (2016, December 27). Childhood poverty and adult psychological well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(52) DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604756114

Goodreads, (n.d.). The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that fits all cases. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/85057-the-shoe-that-fits-one-person-pinches-another-there-is

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publishing.

Shonfeld, Z. (2018, January 12). Oprah Winfrey is the most charismatic person in America—and yes, she really could be president.  Newsweek.com. Retrieved from https://www.newsweek.com/2018/02/02/oprah-winfrey-president-campaign-golden-globes-777508.html

Winfrey, O. (n.d.). What Oprah knows for sure about finding success. Retrieved from http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/what-oprah-knows-for-sure-about-finding-success

 

 

 

Changing the World with Emotional Intelligence

by

 

While reading about emotional intelligence in the textbook this week, I could’ve help but think about a story I had read a few days earlier. The story was about a young girl named Natalie Hampton who was able to use emotional intelligence to change her own personal nightmare into a movement to help countless other young people.

As we learned in the chapter this week, emotional intelligence is a new leadership trait that has only truly been studied in the last thirty years or so. Basically, the term emotional intelligence is related to being able to understand and process emotions in yourself and others (Northouse, 2016). As the research into this attribute increases, it has become clear how much emotional intelligence can contribute to and improve an individual’s leadership skills.

The situation with Natalie Hampton is a clear example of a high level of emotional intelligence being used to make a person into an influential leader. In middle school, Natalie was bullied and ostracized mercilessly by her peers. It eventually became actual physical abuse and resulted in hopelessness and inescapable loneliness for Natalie ([TEDx Talks], 2017).

Things finally turned around in high school after one stranger took the time to speak to Natalie and help her. That small action changed everything for Natalie and she was able to make friends and overcome her isolation. Instead of simply enjoying her new circumstances, Natalie instead decided to help others that were previously in her situation. She started small (inviting solo kids to sit with her during lunch), but eventually that turned into a larger movement called Sit With Us that has a phone app and Twitter account, all for the purpose of connecting kids who feel alone (Paresky, 2017).

Through her own bad experiences and the level of emotional intelligence needed to understand how others were feeling, Natalie was able to establish herself as a leader and world-changer. It is important to note that someone so young was able to implement an area of study that is also in its younger years (emotional intelligence). The next generation of leaders might not look like we expect, but they are going to be no less powerful or impactful.

References

Northouse, P.G. (2016).  Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Paresky, P. (2017). Meet the Teen Who Discovered the Secret of Social Capital. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-and-the-pursuit-leadership/201711/meet-the-teen-who-discovered-the-secret-social

[TEDx Talks]. (2017, August 3). All It Takes Is One, Natalie Hampton, TEDxTeen [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh7XFCysTr4

 

More Than Just Another School Band

by

I have a great job. I really do. I coordinate competitions for elementary, middle school, junior high school and high school music groups such as bands, choirs, orchestras, etc. I travel as part of my job and I get to see students from all parts of society that come together to make music and compete against other groups. While the competition is a great measure for the directors and schools to see where their program rates, we have one award that we give out that has nothing to do with on-stage performance. We call it our “Esprit de Corps” trophy. Anyone at the festival can win the award. The staff at our event watch the groups. They watch and listen. Did the choir from this school behave in a positive manner? Did the orchestra from that school stay and listen to ensembles from other schools? The staff notices if the students acknowledge kindnesses like door-holding and then if they go on to extend kindnesses to others. The staff looks to see who followed directions and who cheered for the school that might have edged them out in competition.

In our experience, we have noticed that schools that exemplify our “Esprit de Corps” message influence other groups. Their behaviors are contagious. In a sense, our exceptional groups act as transformational leaders within the 10 hour event that is our festival. They inspire other ensembles to elevate to another level of behavior and decorum. How did the groups learn this behavior? What are the chances that all of the students from a certain school were born with the leadership traits to make them successful transformational leaders?

Much of what they know, they learned by watching their leaders – their band, choir and/or orchestra directors. These men and women inspire and teach their students to reach just a bit higher and expect just a bit more from themselves and each other. In fact a recent study from the University of St. Thomas indicates a positive relationship between band director leadership and student leadership. Leaders beget leaders it seems – and if the band director exhibits facilitative leadership, the students are more likely to respond in kind (Davison, 2007).

These students also tend to exhibit great emotional intelligence. They are keenly aware of controlling their emotions to maintain poise in a competitive situation. By cheering enthusiastically for underdogs or competitors, they also are aware of their ability to cheer up other people, enhancing the moods of students in other groups (Psychology Today, 2015).  These behaviors also lend themselves to the concept of social intelligence – in particular the idea that the “Esprit de Corps” students understand that others will react to them in kind. If they cheer one group, the others will likely cheer for them. If they say “thank you” when someone extends a courtesy, other students will be more inclined to say the same to other groups as well.

Watching students as young as elementary school exhibit these leadership skills is heartwarming and encouraging. Knowing that I have assisted in providing an environment for them to practice and hone their leadership is extremely rewarding. It no doubt has a ripple effect into my personal life and how I exercise my own emotional intelligence and social intelligence.

Works Cited

Davison, P. D. (2007). The Effect of Band Director Leadership Style and Student Leadership Ability on Band Festival Ratings. Research & Issues In Music Education, 5(1).

Psychology Today. (2015). Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/emotional-intelligenceEsprit de Corps

Emotional intelligence and why women are headed to the top.

by

 

grant-thornton-women-leadership-worldwideWomen in Leadership Roles (2012): Image source: BusinessInsider.com

_________________________________________________________

According to Northouse (2012), emotional intelligence is one way to assess the influence of traits on leadership. Emotional intelligence involves the interplay between our thinking and emotions; specifically, the ability for one to perceive and use emotions to express, facilitate thinking, understand, and reason (Northouse, 2012, p.27). There has been much debate about emotional intelligence and its significance on leadership. Northouse (2012) points out several researchers such as, Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso (2000) , who see a weak link between emotional intelligence and leadership. An article, The future of work, Times Magazine (2009) breathed new life into this debate. As one of the “10 ways your job will change”, Shipman and Kay (2009) write explicitly about why women will rule business in the future and how emotional intelligence plays a role.

Catalyst, a workplace research group found Fortune 500 companies with the most women in senior management, had a higher return on equities- by more than a third (Shipley & Kay, 2012). This provides pretty convincing evidence that women are making a change in the future of business, and for the better. When exploring why this is so, what makes women leaders so special? Shipley and Kay (2009) found one of those factors to be emotional intelligence. CMI (Chartered Management Institute, UK) predicts women will be moving rapidly up the chain of command with their emotional intelligence skills in high demand (Shipley & Kay).

What does this all mean? For one, that emotional intelligence is an important tool that can be used to assess how traits are influencing leadership. This has been shown in many studies unexpectedly, such as Catalyst’s study mentioned earlier. Catalyst set out to look at the positive correlation between company success and women employees, however unintentionally linking the traits women have to their success in the corporate world.The idea that women tend to be more nurturing, and too in touch with their feelings, in other words more emotionally intelligent than men, have now become a powerful tool in the corporate world, specifically, in leadership. Emotional intelligence is making a splash in the future of leadership and we have women to thank for it.

Written by: Mai Dolinh

Sources:

Kay, Claire Shipman and Katty. “The Future of Work.” Time. Time Inc., 14 May 2009. Web. 06 Sept. 2014. retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article
/0%2C28804%2C1898024_1898023_1898078%2C00.html.

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Skip to toolbar