[Answered] What do you understand by emotional intelligence? Discuss the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capability of a person to assess, manage and control one’s own emotions as well as emotions of others. It is critical to manage our behaviour and decision making. It has 5 components- self awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. These 5 components are key in leadership.

Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Realistic Goal setting: Self-awareness ability allow a leader to not only know his/her strengths and weaknesses, but also strength and weaknesses of his team members. This help a leader in setting realistic achievable goals and in managing team through using his/her strengths. This also help in delegation of work based on strengths of team. Emotional intelligence enable a leader to work upon his/her and his/her teammates weaknesses while using strengths optimally toward achieving a goal.
2. Develop Empathy: Having empathy is critical to manage a successful team or organisation. Ability to recognize others’ emotions help leaders to practice empathy. It help them to understand their colleagues’ feelings and perspectives, which enables them to communicate and collaborate more effectively with their peers.
3. Management of stressful situations: Emotional Intelligence help leaders to manage their and their teammate’s emotions, particularly in stressful situations, and maintain a positive outlook despite setbacks. Leaders who lack emotional intelligence tend to react and have a harder time in keeping their impulses in check.
4. Conflict resolution: Emotional Intelligence help leaders to influence and mentor others and help in resolving conflict effectively.
5. Motivation: Emotionally Intelligent leaders work consistently toward their goals, and establish extremely high standards for the quality of their work. This drive and motivate other teammates to achieve these standards and goals.
6. Effective Communication: Emotionally intelligent leaders are great communicators. They know what to say and when to say. An effective communication in a team help them to develop better strategies and increase their efficiency by synchronising their efforts.
7. Emotional intelligence helps leaders to adapt: Leaders should be able to adapt to changing circumstances in their workplaces. E.g if a teammate leaves, an emotionally intelligent leader will try to find a suitable replacement and know how to keep his team motivated. Ability to understand and manage their emotions and of those around them help emotionally intelligent leaders to navigate through difficult circumstances.
8. Better team performance: Emotionally Intelligent leader focus on collaboration between team members, which creates synergy and a better experience for employees. They support others and always celebrate the successes of their employees and encourage them to learn more and develop their skills. This lead to confidence building and better team performance.
9. Decision making: Emotionally Intelligent leaders make objective decisions based on accumulated wisdom and understanding with time. A leader who manages his or her emotions will take quick and strong decisions without emotions being involved after proper cost-benefit analysis.
10. Ability to Bounce Back from Adversity: Emotional Intelligence helpleaders to bounce back quickly after a setback. It help them to manage their and their teammates’ emotions motivating them to the next goal.

Emotional intelligence in the leadership is critical for team’s effectiveness. It plays an important role in driving team and organisation together towards a goal and help in conflict resolution. It enable a leader to be more empathetic, professional, understanding and goal oriented.