The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Subject: Leadership Styles
Pages: 2
Words: 584
Reading time:
3 min
Study level: College

Introduction

The video clip focuses its attention on the role of emotional intelligence in leadership. Five fundamental aspects of emotional intelligence are identified, including self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills (Goleman, 2016). As I studied the concepts of leadership before, I have heard about the importance of emotional intelligence and its elements. However, the presentation of empathy as an independent element stood out to me. Working environments are constantly changing, and new frameworks and methods emerge daily. As the role of the global economy becomes more significant, it is frequently critical to manage people with diverse cultural backgrounds, personal beliefs, and principles. Therefore, empathy becomes more relevant than ever as it might allow the leader to better understand team members to set and achieve common goals.

Forbes Article

Forbes article outlines ten essential attributes that are highly beneficial for a leader to have (Gleeson, 2016). It stood out to me that 5 out of 10 attributes are directly linked with people. It is critical to know your team, understand it, respect team members, and encourage them to improve. For decades people were viewed as a resource that is not as essential as the objective or the process itself. Nonetheless, as the tasks become more and more creative and business ethics become a significant concern, more agile and person-oriented frameworks emerge. It might be highly beneficial to create an appropriate business environment to achieve fruitful and productive teamwork. Therefore, it may be vitally important to be empathic and acknowledge the value of people.

Correlation with Chapter 2

The ideas presented in the Forbes article interrelate significantly with the information provided in the chapter. However, even though the data may be similar, the article and the chapter complement each other. To some extent, the concepts of leader motive profile theory are consistent with the concept of having faith in personal beliefs. A leader needs to be passionate and able to moderate the need for achievement. The principles presented in the article also correlate with the idea of ethical leadership. Not leading by force, helping the team, and serving a greater cause may be viewed as elements of ethical leadership.

Following moral principles and avoiding inappropriate behavior is not only ethical but also beneficial in terms of leadership efficiency (Lussier & Achua, 2016). An ethical approach to management may improve productivity and build motivation. The article mentions the importance of decision-making, whereas the information provided in Chapter 2 introduces factors that may influence decisions. For instance, decision-making may depend on emotional stability, self-confidence, intelligence, and even ethical and moral standards.

Potential Benefits for Future Role as a Leader

The most valuable knowledge provided by these three sources that can be applied in my future role as a leader is related to ethics. Forbes article, as well as the chapter, helped me understand that ethical behavior is an essential factor of effective leadership. It may be highly beneficial to avoid unethical decisions not only to follow personal principles but also to create a healthy working environment and set a prime example for team members. I also acknowledged that empathy plays a central role in modern leadership as it might be vitally important to introduce an individual approach to each employee. However, the most significant principle that I will be able to apply is related to the possibility of developing a personality and obtaining new skills. It is critical to be open to discoveries, use mistakes as learning opportunities, understand my strengths and weaknesses, and try to improve.

References

Gleeson, B. (2016). 10 unique perspectives on what makes a great leader. Forbes. Web.

Goleman, D. (2016). What makes a leader?. Harvard Business Review. Web.

Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2016). Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.