Emotional Intellegence Exploring the Five

Emotional Intellegence Exploring the Five Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence In his article, "What Makes a Leader," Daniel Goleman suggests that "IQ and technical skills" are simply the "entry-level requirements for executive positions" (94). What separates leadership attempts from leadership successes, however, is a "high degree of emotional intelligence" (94). According to Goleman, when tested against other components such as IQ and technical skills, emotional intelligence proved to a better predictor of good leaders and great performance.

Often assessed by employers through models prepared by psychologists, which tell employers who to focus on for training, hiring, promotion, etc., emotional intelligence has five components, according to the author. The first of these components, self-awareness, is defined as "having a deep understanding of one's emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and drives" (Goleman 96).

People who are self-aware tend to perform better on the job than their less than self-aware counterparts because they understand how situations and surroundings affect them, and are able to react in a more helpful manner, as well as understanding their values and goals, so they make better long-term decisions. The self-aware worker understands what really gets on her nerves, why she feels frustrated with co-workers and clients, or how a new job situation makes her feel.

She is able to, then, respond to these situations by avoiding those circumstances that will cause her job performance to suffer and reacting in a rational way when confronted with problems. People can recognize whether or not they are self-aware by their ability to be honest about and with themselves. The self-aware employee is neither "overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful" (96). Furthermore, people who are self-aware tend to be self-confident, and able to speak about their failures and weaknesses as learning experiences, or with humor.

Like self-awareness, the second component of emotional intelligence, as identified by Goleman, includes one's ability to be in control of oneself. This characteristic, self-regulation, is what allows those that possess it to remain in control of their emotions and feelings. According to Goleman, self-regulation is important for the business world because self-regulating people "feel bad moods and emotional impulses just as everyone does, but they find ways to control them and even to channel them in useful ways" (98).

In a work environment populated with self-regulators, impulses and poor reactions to bad news are not common. Instead, the environment invites others to participate without fear that they will make a mistake and face the wrath of an angry boss. This promotes a calm, reasoned approach throughout the business run by self-regulating leaders. Furthermore, self-regulators tend not to panic, but to look at new and challenging information as opportunities to grow.

In addition, Goleman asserts that self-regulation "enhances integrity," as "many of the bad things that happen in companies are a function of impulsive behavior" (98). Self-regulators who control these impulses run a much lower risk of engaging in such behavior. While self-awareness and self-regulation are two components of emotional intelligence that help leaders keep the negative in check, the positive emotional intelligence component of motivation is present in "virtually all effective leaders" (Goleman 99). Goleman writes that the difference between motivation for leaders and motivation for others comes down to achievement.

While many people are motivated to earn larger salaries or other benefits for themselves, leaders are motivated to achieve for achievement's sake. People that are truly energized by their jobs, "love to learn," and are proud when they do a good job are probably motivated to achieve for achievement's sake (Goleman 99). In addition, those who experience this type of motivation often want to consider other ways that their work might be done more effectively and love to ask questions.

Some ways that companies may use to identify those who are seriously motivated include determining those who have a clear track record about their achievements, love their work, and feel "commitment to the organization" (100). These people do not just see achievement in terms personal perks, but instead for the sake of the profession and the company. Although personal involvement and motivation to succeed is important, Goleman notes empathy or "thoughtfully considering employees' feelings" as the fourth component of emotional intelligence (100).

According to Goleman, "empathy is particularly important today...for at least three reasons:.