We all know the basic definition of intelligence. Intelligence is the ability to learn and use skills, knowledge, and information. We all know highly intelligent people. But do highly intelligent people always make good leaders? The answer to this question is, not always. There are many kinds of intelligence. Some of us have what we call book sense; some of us have common sense. We have even taken people out of the intelligence equation with artificial intelligence.
Many authorities believe that Emotional Intelligence is an important characteristic of all highly effective leaders. You have learned about Emotional Intelligence (EI) in other courses, but in this course, we will discuss it in the context of leadership. Hughes (2022) defines EI as the ability to:
- Accurately perceive one’s own and others’ emotions.
- Generate emotions to facilitate thought and action.
- Accurately understand the causes of emotions and the meanings they convey.
- Regulate one’s emotions. (p. 185)
While there are many different definitions and opinions about EI, including how to measure and how to develop EI, we can take all these different notations and work to manage ourselves and our employees more effectively. As leaders, we want to build self-awareness, empathy, and social skills that allow us to communicate, motivate and inspire those people around us.
WATCH THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO:
ANSWER THIES QUESTIONS:
Respond to the following questions and points. If you happen to use an outside resource or your textbook, you must cite that resource in APA format. Be sure to include your own opinions, interpretations, recommendations, and conclusions to these questions.
- Of the four characteristics of Emotional Intelligence listed in the Overview above, which one is least demonstrated by the boss in the scenario? Explain your decision.
- The moral of the scenario is this: “Blind spots are only blind to one person: you.” Explain how this statement relates to the scenario.
- There is quite a bit of tension between the boss and the employee. Reframe this scenario, and assume you are the boss.
- Describe what you would do differently to show effective leadership.
- Which of the four characteristics of EI are you demonstrating?
- Which lesson from this video will you incorporate into your own leadership development?
