How Emotional Intelligence Can Be an Effective Tool of Leaders

EI and Leadership EI differs from traditional concepts of intelligence in that it is geared more towards understanding the emotions of others and communicating to them accordingly in order to maintain a positive and healthy environment.

Instead of being "book smart," it is a "people smart" kind of intelligence -- it allows one to read faces and tell if there is anger, fear, confidence, determination, frustration, etc., in that person's mood; it can pick up on tones, verbal cues, body language and use all of this to determine what needs that person requires be met. He who has EI can then help to make sure that person has his/her needs met.

EI can be learned because it is essentially a form of reading others and looking for cues. I do see the value of working to increase my emotional intelligence as taking note of the emotional needs of others is a very positive trait that can be used to keep the workplace environment happy and healthy. My own level of EI is such that I already try to be sensitive to the feelings of others and am more of a sympathizer and empathizer than a driver or transformer.

I want to be agreeable to others according to the test because I don't want to seem frustrating or not caring. 3. There is a relationship between EI and leadership. Cacamis et al. (2014) show that EI can actually help to improve project performance in the workplace because it assists in building and maintaining relationships, boosting communication and by extension coordination, and that it allows for a positive and robust morale to be supported by the team leader's EI.

Effective leadership as Sanders (2006) shows is leadership that makes itself available to its workers, has a high degree of likeability, and is understanding to the needs of others. Leadership that has EI is a leadership that knows how people work, how they get along, what they need to stay focused, to stay encouraged, and to stay upbeat about their job and their peers.

The relationship can be defined thus: EI helps to support the leadership ability and style of the leader, who in turn (thanks to EI) allows him to support the needs of staff members and workers who follow him. EI is a foundation that serves as a pathway to relational bonding and inducements to positive morale. 4. I have worked for a manager that I think exhibited a high degree of EI. He was very hands-on and always concentrating on seeing that everyone in the workplace was satisfied and feeling positive.

He gave everyone the time they needed to express their thoughts, feelings and concerns and he never was dismissive or rude but always listened and thanked us for our input. He would even counter with suggestions and show that he was considering what we said. I have also worked for managers who had no EI. They would be blunt or rude or show that they simply did not care about what we said by appearing to brush off our concerns as though they were not significant.

This had an obvious negative effect on the workplace and there was always a lot of strain and tension in the air because of.