“Effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of emotional intelligence,” notes Daniel Goleman in his article called “What Makes a Leader?” (Harvard Business Review, November - December 1998). As he explains, there are four domains of emotional intelligence.
First, there is self-awareness, i.e. “having a deep understanding of one’s emotions as well as one’s strengths and limitations and one’s values and motives.... Self-aware leaders also understand their values, goals, and dreams. They know where they are headed and why. They’re attuned to what “feels right” to them.”
Second, there is self-management, i.e. “the ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods as well as the ability suspend judgment.” This also enables transparency, which is not only a leadership virtue but also an organizational strength. Transparency is an authentic openness to others about one’s feelings, beliefs, and actions . It “allows integrity, or the sense that a leader can be trusted.... Ultimately, the most meaningful act of responsibility that leaders can do is control their own state of mind.”
Third, there is social awareness, particularly empathy. This is “the ability to understand the emotional make-up of others as well as to treat others according to their needs.”
Fourth, there is relationship management, i.e. “friendliness with a purpose.” This is “the ability to manage relationships and networks in a healthy manner, especially in the areas of finding common ground and building rapport.” It also is “moving people in the right direction, whether that’s agreement on a marketing strategy or enthusiasm about a new project.”
With the above foundation of emotional intelligence, I am reminded of something that Horst Schultz, former COO of the Ritz Carlton wrote: “You are nothing unless it comes from your heart: passion, caring, really looking to create excellence. If you perform functions only, and go to work only to do processes, then you are effectively retired. And it scares me - most people I see, by age 28, are retired…. If you go to work only to fulfill the processes and functions, then you are a machine. You have to bring passion, commitment, and caring - then you are a human being.”
When we bring passion, commitment, caring, and emotional intelligence to our work, we become transformational leaders who change organizations, the lives of those who work there, and the respective communities in which they operate. And this is a powerful and positive way to change the world.
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