Den vigtigste indikator for en leders succes: Emotionel intelligens

Culture & Behavior

The most important indicator of a leader's success: Emotional intelligence

Daniel Goleman, the pioneer in research into emotional intelligence, wrote a now classic article in the Harvard Business Review about emotional intelligence and his conclusion is quite clear: Emotional intelligence is by far the biggest indicator of a manager's success.

In a comparison between average managers and the top performers, he claims that as much as 90 % of the difference in their profiles can be attributed to emotional intelligence. And then the level of the person's technical skills, IQ, analytical abilities and good ideas do not make a big difference. Golman sees these abilities as more of a minimum requirement. And the higher up the manager is in the organizational hierarchy, the less important technical skills become.

But what exactly is emotional intelligence and how do you know if you or others have it? You can read more about that here.

Culture & Behavior

What is emotional intelligence?

Goleman divides Emotional Intelligence into five components: self-awareness, self-control, motivation, social skills and empathy. We all have these components within us, it's just different how good we are at using them. People who have high EQ score high on all five.

Emotional intelligence five components

Self-insight. The ability to recognize and understand one's own mood, feelings and underlying causes and their impact on other people. Self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, self-deprecating sense of humor.
Self control. The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods. Tendency to delay judgment – to think before acting. Credibility and integrity, security in ambiguity, openness to change.
Motivation. A passion for working with causes that are bigger than money or status. Driven to perform, optimistic even just before a defeat, committed to the organization.
Empathy. The ability to understand the emotional being of others. The ability to interact with people based on their emotional reactions. Expert in creating and retaining talent, cross-cultural sensitivity, servicing customers and clients.
Social skills. Skilled in managing relationships and building networks. An ability to find common ground and build close relationships, good persuasion skills.