Our thoughts on leadership have developed considerably since the early part of the 20th Century when the Great Person Theories approach was in fashion. It was thought in those times that you were born with leadership qualities and if you had enough of those qualities you automatically would be an effective leader.
What we have discovered however during the past few decades is that leadership is much more complex than simply identifying these so called leadership qualities.
What we now realise is that leadership is very much an emotionally rather than intellectually based process. So, if a leader is to be effective in a sustainable way in the world we live in today, she or he needs to be emotionally intelligent in order to bring out the best in their people.
Daniel Goleman identified five key areas in terms of emotional intelligence and any leader committed to long term effectiveness needs to be able to operate effectively in these five areas.
Firstly the leader needs to understand how and from where the emotions they are experiencing arise. Being aware of emotional state is key to understanding how to behave appropriately in a range of situations.
Secondly the leader needs to be able to control their emotional state. Once an individual loses her or his temper, logic disappears and the words and behaviour which result which can often have a long term negative impact which can undermine the credibility of the leader.
The third area of emotional intelligence is being able to harness emotion and emotional state in order to develop motivation. Rather than be subject to ‘carrot and stick’ pressures from other people, intrinsic motivation from within is the way to develop long term motivation and good outcomes. People who feel good about themselves tend to produce high quality work.
Fourth on our list of emotional intelligence factors is the ability to understand the emotions that other people around the leader are experiencing. A good name for this ability is ‘tough empathy’ whereby the leader understands the emotions the other person or people are experiencing but does not feel sorry for them.
Number five is the ability to use effective interpersonal skills. Rapport is a fascinating effect when two or more individuals interact and Daniel Goleman talks in terms of leaders ‘resonating’ with their people – putting rapport skills to work.
Emotions are very important to us. Some writers suggest that there are only two sorts of emotional state – good and bad. People need to work towards spending as much time in positive emotional states as possible. One way to develop more time in a positive state is to develop financial freedom so that you are not the victim of an emotionally unintelligent or ‘toxic’ box. If you would like to look at a different lifestyle where you do spend more time feeling happy and fulfilled, you could consider starting your own business which you can set in motion part time whilst still in a full time job and then leave once your business is strong enough to sustain your lifestyle. Please see the link at the bottom of this article if you would like to see an opportunity for starting your own cash generating business.
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Did you find this article useful? John Potter is a leading international business psychologist who regularly gives out free information. Refusing to stay in a job where you are unhappy is important if you want to enjoy life. You can easily gain control over your future and build financial security by creating multiple streams of income to protect you against change in your business world or profession. If you would like to know more about how to develop a second source of income to protect your future with full video and tutorial support please visit the website http://www.MaverickMoneyMakersWinsOnline.com
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