EI – far more than intellectual intelligence – is the perquisite qualities for a soldier – any soldier - in this generation. The events of September 2001 have arguably had the greatest impact on homeland security and transformed it from the far more relaxed traditional style that it had practiced beforehand and to a more vigilant, alert style of leadership. This places a great deal of stress on anyone, particularly on those guarding the Country. Given the fact that onerous traditional duties have not only remained unchanged but have been supplemented by demanding and pressurizing other duties, security workers are open to qi great deal of stress that can easily - and does – impact their performance. Leadership, therefore, of both oneself and of others – correct and wise leadership – has consequently rarely been as important and needed as now. The point is that this leadership must be structured in a correct manner, and the way to structure it runs – it seems to me – according to the guidelines of EI.
¶ … theory (the "great man' theory) that asserts that leadership is innate, and that leaders and warriors such as Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Alexander the Great were great since they were born with the ability to guide and help others.
That doesn't give me much chance for me to work on becoming a leader. If fate hasn't made me so, regardless of the amount of work inserted I may never become one. But then again, contemporary thought has more positive attitudes. Most contemporary leadership approaches claim that given certain strategies and willpower, leadership is a technique and skill that almost anyone can learn. I prefer the encouragement of these ideas.
'Leadership' is a concept that needs to be pinned down. Leaders that come to mind appear to me in two categories: remote and distant. I think of Generals, such as Patton who retained their power and prestige by distancing themselves from their followers, and then I think of others who were the reverse. Who won the respect and dedication of other followers particular because they were close and connected to them? I think Washington is an example of the latter. I prefer to be like him.
The best type of leader, I moreover, think, is someone who possesses the qualities of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Intellectual intelligence is secondary to emotional intelligence. And this is particularly important in today's stress-filled political, social, and economic environment.
Leadership comes into all aspects of tasks performed by the army / Home Security. We are accorded responsibility for a new range of policies and duties that include terrorism prevention, agency interoperability, and new proactive Intervention laws, such as the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act. Leadership comes into each and every facet of our life, and the higher and more responsible the position, the more intense the leadership role expected of that particular officer.
According to Daniel Goleman (1998, p. 95), EI is split into 5 components and I see each of the 5 components contributing to leadership in the army thusly:
1. The intrapersonal aspect
There is open transparent communication between the soldier and other colleagues including superiors and peers as well as those under his command. Issues are brought up, and people are able to reflect upon and admit errors without rancor. Each soldier has self-regard for him/herself; this makes an army with less conflict.
2. Interpersonal level,
Here each soldier is able to maintain and carry out social responsibilities as well as feeling empathy for others on the team, able to work well with them, and to help them in their particular duties.
4. Adaptability
Soldiers are able to deal with change in a plastic, flexible manner. They are able to reflect and adapt strategies and plans to the situation. They are also able to tune in to other's needs and situations
5. Stress management
The ability of withstanding adverse situations in a calm, efficient manner and to help others deal with their stress too. This is particularly important in today's martial atmosphere.
6. The 'general mood' element
This consists of the ability of the team as a whole to deal with change in an optimistic manner and to deal with adversity with humor.
Sun Tsu in his 'The Art of War' the primer of leadership skills recommends that the warrior leader should be self-disciplined and implement goals to guide him. These goals should be internally, not externally motivated, and the warrior should seek to constantly and consistently focus on them and follow them. He should also use these goals to structure vision for his followers. A leader has to know how to communicate, how to emphasize, how to negotiate, how to prevent conflict, and so forth. A good leader has to be able to communicate with and emphasize with the other (Bateman & Snell, 2009, p. 436). He has to be able to deal with change, help his followers deal with change, and, most importantly, lead by example. In this way, he will be credible. In order to motivate his followers, he has to personify the qualities of empowerment, risk-taking, participation and constant development of personal skills and knowledge. In this way, the ideal leader has to be constantly improving himself in all ways, whilst being reflective and calm (Bateman & Snell, 2009).
This is the epitome of EI, and, therefore, I conclude that EI -- far more than intellectual intelligence -- is the perquisite qualities for a soldier -- any soldier - in this generation.
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