"Great Leaders Move Us "

We are all familiar with the abbreviation of “IQ”. An abbreviation based on tests that society

uses to stratify people and supposedly their merit or importance. But a lesser number of people

know the meaning of the abbreviation “EQ” or Emotional Quotient. EQ is about the ability to

emotionally connect with others, especially those with whom we deal with frequently - whether

at home, on the job, or out in society at large. It’s about having empathy, a sense of

understanding what others are going through and their responses. It’s about communicating a

sense of caring and helpfulness.

EQ is a critical component of leadership. It has been said that EQ is much more important than

IQ in a leader. Effective leaders connect with people through their emotions. “Great leaders

move us.  They ignite our passion and inspire the best of us.  When we try to explain why they

are so effective, we speak of strategy, vision, or powerful ideas.  But the reality is much more

primal.  Great leadership works through the emotions.” Daniel Goldman, Primal Leadership –

realizing the power of emotional intelligence. In his book, Goldman recognizes four closely

intertwined domains of EQ within the Personal Competence and Social Competence spheres

which are:

Self-awareness: Emotional self-awareness: Reading one’s own emotions and recognizing their

impact; using “gut sense” to guide decisions. Accurate self-assessment: Knowing one’s strength

and limits. Self-confidence: A sound sense of one’s self-worth and capabilities.

Self-management: Emotional self-control: Keeping disruptive emotions and impulses under

control. Transparency: Displaying honesty and integrity; trustworthiness. Adaptability:

Flexibility in adapting to changing situations or overcoming obstacles. Achievement: The drive

to improve performance to meet inner standards of excellence. Initiative: Readiness to act and

seize opportunities.

Social awareness: Empathy: Sensing other’s emotions, understanding their perspective, and

taking active interest in their concerns. Organizational awareness: Reading the currents, decision

networks, and politics at the organizational level. Service: Recognizing and meeting follower,

client, or customer needs.

Relationship management: Inspirational leadership: Guiding and motivating with a compelling

vision. Influence: Wielding a range of tactics for persuasion. Developing others: Bolstering

other’s abilities through feedback and guidance. Change catalyst: Initiating, managing, and

leading in a new direction. Conflict management: Resolving disagreements. Building bonds.

Cultivating and maintaining relationships.

In the book, Primal Leadership – realizing the power of emotional intelligence by Daniel

Goleman, the author discusses the results of a random sample of 3,871 executives. Goleman

examined the relationship between leadership style, organizational climate, and financial

performance. He identified six styles of Leadership that leaders use to interact with their people.

An effective leader has a deep bag of tools to draw from. Effective leaders interact with their

people based upon a lot of factors. A brand new employee may need a lot of guidance and

direction, whereas a senior leader may need coaching or mentoring. Effective leaders use the

right tool at the right time.

The Six Leadership Styles are:

Visionary

– Builds resonance (emotionally in synch) by moving people toward shared dreams.

– Impact on climate: Most strongly positive.

– When appropriate: When changes required a new vision, or when a clear direction is needed.

Coaching

– Builds resonance by connecting what a person wants with the organizational goals.

– Impact on climate: Highly positive.

– When appropriate: To help an employee improve performance by building long-term

capabilities.

Affiliative

–Builds resonance through the creation of harmony by connecting people to each other.

–Impact on climate: Positive.

–When appropriate: To heal rifts in a team, motivate during stressful times, or strengthen

connections.

Democratic

– Builds resonance by valuing people’s input and gets commitment through participation.

– Impact on climate: Positive.

– When appropriate: To build buy-in or consensus, or to get valuable input from employees.

Pacesetting

– Builds resonance by meeting challenging and exciting goals.

– Impact on climate: Because too frequently poorly executed, often highly negative.

– When appropriate: To get high quality results from a motivated and competent team.

Commanding

– Builds resonance by soothing fears through giving clear direction in an emergency.

– Impact on climate: Because so often misused, highly negative.

– When appropriate: In a crisis, to kick-start a turnaround, or with problem employees.

I sincerely hope that these tidbits of information about EQ will inspire you to learn more about it

and assist you in performing as a leader.

             ~ Col. Phil Torres