A641.3.3.RB – Working with EI: Getting Results!
Goleman (2012) described emotional intelligence as the behavior that we possess in handling ourselves in certain situations and our relationships with others. According to Boyatzis & McKee (2005), there are four dimensions of EI where the first two domains ascertain the way we manage and understand who we are and our emotions (self-awareness and self-management). The last two domains prescript how we handle and understand the feelings of the people around us and to build a relationship and (social awareness or empathy and relationship management or social skills).
George (2012) indicated that to become an authentic and valid leader we need to gain self-awareness that involves real-world experiences. Developing self-awareness and critical thinking has enabled me to make better decisions regarding information or data that are of no value and distinguish differing logical errors in resolving current issues or problems. Re-evaluating my core values helped in defining my morality and conceptions of what is right (Whetten & Cameron, 2016, p. 51). Critical thinking heightened my emotional intelligence where I was more in tune with my emotions as well as recognizing and diagnosing the displayed sentiments of the people I work with and family and friends. My awareness of my emotions or other people's feelings makes me more sensitive to their needs. I am able to resolve workplace issues strategically, and the people I work with are more open to voicing their concern(s).
Self-management is in regards to appropriately handle our behaviors and emotions when faced with difficult or distressing situations. It enables our autonomy to develop and change how we manage our distressing emotions. As a Senior HR Manager, a graduate student, wife, mother, and a friend, self-awareness, and self-management are crucial to the effectiveness of my encounters in the workplace or in my private life. It is of utmost importance that I recognize not only my strengths but most importantly my weaknesses.
Stress has its positive effect. Stress keeps effective leaders like me to be focused, competitive and begets action. Unfortunately, stress can also be toxic to my emotional and mental capacity most specifically during company layoffs, acquisitions, consolidations, and other major projects at work that requires long hours of work, attending to a family member who is medically disabled, and submitting college works on time. There are critical elements that I must consider in managing stress such as keeping an open perspective, welcoming feedback, exercising and recharging/renewing. During challenging times professionally or personally, I have the tendency to bottle up and try to handle difficult or demanding tasks by myself without asking for assistance.
To be an effective leader, I need to develop if not perfect the practice of self-awareness and self-management. As leaders, it is of utmost importance that we recognize not only our strengths but most importantly our weaknesses. It is a fact that we do not always have the right answer to a question, but most especially, we do not have the best excellent idea for innovation, creativity, and to be lean in our work processes. Our workplace of today is culturally competent, but that does not mean that as leaders, we cannot be honest to admit that we do not always have the answers and own up to the mistakes we commit. Admission of not having all the answers, accepting and apologizing for our errors and most especially, asking for help from our team humanizes us, gaining respect and trust from our followers.
As a leader, I am accountable for the creation, development, and leading a team to the highest standards of performance outcomes. It is of utmost importance to embrace the diversity of members of my team, be empathetic to their emotions and continuously develop my social skills. Cultivating an environment of continuous innovation, improvements, and initiatives in the workplace is one way of fostering team commitment embracing a mindset of innovation and empathy. Innovation and change are not entirely dependent on executive leadership’s participation, but it is reliant on every member of the workforce who are focused and familiar with the organization’s customers, employee, and stakeholders’ unique needs.
I need to free myself with ego and be perceptive and sensitive to other people’s needs. Recognizing that the success of our team and organization as a whole is a group initiative, I need to take the time to observe the people around me identifying those that require solutions. Being sensitive, empathetic, and perceptive to my team will enable me to be a supportive change agent recognizing or identifying opportunities in everything, improving my team’s performance. I also find it of utmost importance to remove my innate inhibitions. Inhibitions if not dealt appropriately limits my confidence to be courageous in pursuing initiatives that others might not fully accept or agree. By eliminating harmful assumptions and perceptions, I will have more ability to think outside the box and have the strength to encourage others to have an open mind to new ideas and solutions without setting confining convictions.
Today, I am still being challenged and shaped by my limited experience and am well aware of how those limitations influence the decisions I am making, I can say with certainty that I am on my way to be a better leader. According to Hoch and Kunreuther (2005), as the environment of decision-making becomes increasingly more complex, working out the specifics of the decision beforehand will not be practical nor prudent. One thing I am sure of is that consistently and continuously developing the four dimensions of emotional intelligence and transparently communicating organizational change and development is of great importance for every leadership decision directed at implementing corporate regulatory policies and procedures, workplace innovation and creativity, and organizational change to be successful.
Reference
Boyatzis, B.E., (2009). Competencies as a behavioral approach to emotional intelligence.
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Boyatzis, R. & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant leadership. Boston, MS: Harvard Business School
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Big Think (2012, April 23). Daniel Goleman Introduces Emotional Intelligence [Video Link].
George, B. (2012): Inner Work for Authentic Leadership. Harvard University. Retrieved from
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Hoch, S. J., & Kunreuther, H. C. (2005). Wharton on making decisions. (1st edition.).
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Whetten, D. and Cameron, K. (2016). Developing Management Skills Ninth Edition.
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