Does Leadership Need Emotional Intelligence - Coursework Example

Does Leadership need emotional intelligence Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Executive summary The concept of emotional intelligence (EI) has received increased popularity in the recent past, both in psychology and in the business settings. In the first letter, EI has been perceived as sorts of an ability which is different from personality, though somehow related to IQ. This ability comprises of four domains namely emotion facilitation, emotion perception, emotion management and emotion understanding. Despite the recent evidence which has linked EI to leadership (mostly transformational), some proponents have pointed out that the management organ of different organizations ought to be wary in using it as a yardstick in the hiring, firing or promotion processes in a business setting. Past researches have failed to give clarity on the imperative role of EI in leadership, a shortcoming which can be attributed to the use of poor methodology in measurements. However, there has been consensus that intelligence quotient (IQ) is the most ideal predictor of success in work as well as in leadership. In relation to the question of whether leaders need EI, there has been formidable justification that this is not mandatory. In the second letter, it is stated that despite the methodological shortcomings in the EI analysis, this should not be a rationale for giving up, but rather as a motivation. In addition, it is revealed that EI enhances leadership, mostly in teamwork. The third letter asserts that emotions assist us in making effective decisions, and thus its applicability in leadership. The last letter questions the presence of two types of intelligence, namely, fluid and crystalline. In conclusion, it recommends that researchers ought to continue in developing and studying emotions and mostly in regard to their role in leadership. Key learning points The first learning point is that poor methodological foundation has resulted in ambiguity and weakness among studies attempting to link EI with effective leadership. This is founded on the fact that since the publication of the groundbreaking work by Salovey and Mayer (1980-1990) (cited in Antonakis, et. al., 2009), robust data which shows that EI plays a central role in leadership has been non-existent. This can be attributed to two hypotheses; firstly, EI does not matter in leadership and secondly, researchers in the realms of EI have all along been using wrong methodology or wrong measures. Thus, this weakness can only be addressed when strong and viable instruments as well as careful measurements are used in establishing whether EI is in existence as it has been asserted in different literature. In addition, this will aid in exploring whether it offers any useful prediction. Consequently, contemporary as well as future research ought to move forth and make extensive efforts to avoid the pitfalls that confronted the EI researches in yester years. This can either through improving on the methodological models of their inferences or abandoning this construct altogether. Nonetheless, this latter option is indefensible and the shortcomings in the past should not be a rationale for giving up, but rather as a motivation to move on to greater heights of inquiry in the field of EI. Failure to do this, the current notions on EI will continue producing results which are disappointing in a similar fashion like in the past. Thus, something has to change. This point has to a greater extent linked general mental ability (IQ) to effective leadership as well as being the best predictor of success in work. The second learning point is that the context of leadership entails high emotional connections and thus, EI is connected to effectiveness among leaders. This is founded on the fact that the ideas of leadership encompassing the followers’ emotions as well as emotional abilities being linked to effectiveness in leadership have been in existence since the early trait theories of leadership. This connection has even been revealed in the discourse ‘the curse of emotion’ in the first letter. Recent analysis have revealed and typically demonstrated that leaders at different capacities engage in evoking responses which are emotional in nature among the employees in the workplace. This has resulted to the elevated acceptance of the reality that leadership is a process which is emotion laden. Thus, a leader who has the capability of managing his/her personal emotions and is endowed with a certain degree of emotion for others is bound to portray more effectiveness in the workplaces. The above fact is fortified in the work by George (cited in Antonakis, et. al, 2009) who emphasized the close correlation between effective leadership behaviors and emotional abilities. In this respect, five integral elements for effectiveness in leadership were linked to emotional aspects whereby leaders who score high in EI may be better in the achievement of these outcomes. Nonetheless, it has been pointed out that there is variance in the application of EI in different situations which the leaders engage in. As a result, the EI embedded in the leaders might be highly fundamental in some situations than in others, mostly those which involve constraining of the cognitive resources, for instance, highly stressful work situations. Overall, this learning point has underpinned the fact that relationship approaches to leadership have an intrinsic emotional aspect. The third learning point is that emotions are central in effective decision making. This is founded on the simplistic natural utility of emotions for adaptive functioning whereby the use of emotions in decision making has an implicit occurrence as opposed to being automatized. This is only inapplicable in a scenario where a certain individual is a ‘clinical case’ (individuals who are characterized by serious psychological or neurological impairment. Thus, individuals who are typically normal are bound to exhibit substantial performance on decisions which call for emotions. The last learning point is that despite the shortcomings in the measurement of EI and to some extent its conceptualization, recent research in this field has highlighted the central role of emotions in social relationships. This has been more apparent in the focus on leadership and the role of emotions in its efficacy. Thus, leaders in diverse levels, whether corporate or in the public realms ought to make profound attempts in managing their inherent emotions as well as those of their followers. Argument for or against There are several statements in the journal analysis which are agreeable while others are not. Firstly, this analysis agrees with the statement that EI is integral in the effectiveness among leaders. Work by Goleman (cited in Reilly & Karounos, 2008) which assessed the connection between EI and leadership fortified this statement. In this work, Goleman analyzed a total of 188 companies which primarily had global operations with the aim of determining the personal capabilities among leaders which seemed to propel the exemplary performance in these organizations and the degree to which they did so. These personal capabilities were clustered into three categories; technical skills, cognitive skills as well as competencies demonstrating EI. According to the inferences in this research, EI proved to be twice as imperative as cognitive abilities and technical skills for the leadership tasks at all the levels of the organizational set-up (Reilly&Karounos, 2008). These findings fortify the statement on the central role of EI in effective leadership. The second statement which this paper agrees with is that emotions are central in the decision making processes. This also applies to the processes of problem solving when an organization is confronted by extensive crisis which threats its viability. This fact is supported by Scott-Ladd and Chan (2004) who cited that the intellectual utility of emotions means that individuals’ cognitive decisions are more serious. This is in the sense that they are strategically niched to assimilate information, exhibit creativity in solving certain problems confronting an organization as well as in making judgments. The above reality points to the fact that people who are emotionally intelligent (high EI) are bound to be more self-aware in regard to their strengths as well as limitations. Based on this, they are credited for being more flexible, optimistic, confident, comfortable with new ideas and innovative (Scott-Ladd and Chan, 2004). This has seen a greater emphasis on employees who have high EI among diverse organizations, mostly those which are confronted by volatile market situations and seeking to attain and maintain competitive advantage. Nonetheless, it is imperative to note that despite this robust linkage between EI and effectiveness in decision making and problem solving, positive linkage between EI and performance outcome among employees are continuing to emerge in the contemporary times. The third statement which this paper agrees with is that there is need for increased and more thorough research in the realms of EI. This is fundamental in not only addressing the gaps in the research in this field but also in developing more knowledge in this realm of enquiry. This is imperative in addressing the dynamics in the contemporary society as well as advancing the level of knowledge among the future scholars (European Commission, 2011). Nonetheless, it is integral to point out that this will necessitate a holistic approach whereby input from different individuals and collectives in other fields of academia like psychology, organizational management and economics ought to be incorporated in the future researches on EI. This is fundamental in not only fostering a synergy of approach in these researches but also in enriching the knowledge that will emanate from these researches in the future. However, despite this paper agreeing with all the above statements in the journal under review, it does not agree with the statement that with the aim of appropriately testing a theoretical framework, the highlighted ten methodological appropriate steps ought to apply. This is founded on the simple fact that despite the overtime advancements in the realms of research, mostly in the social sciences, virtually all the researches have their imperfections in one way or another. In this case, the application of all the stated ten methodological appropriate steps in measuring the validity of a certain publication is imprudent. This approach will only culminate in the rejection of a huge volume of literature which is not meeting this methodological criterion and not only waste the enormous of resources spent in research but also in promote discarding of important literature which is otherwise useful. Critical analysis of the article It is worth noting that this article is important in addressing the concept of EI and its relationship with leadership and social relationships. Its ‘letters’ approach is particularly outstanding based on the fact that it permits the reader with an ideal opportunity of learning different perspectives about EI based on the exchanges between different authors who engage in criticism. This is probably not likely to happen when an article is based on the views of a single author where the reader is bound to get a subjective perspective of the topic under discourse. Secondly, this article engages in wide review of literature which expounds on the concept of EI. This approach is imperative in informing the reader about the views of the previous writers in this field as well as gaining a more comprehensive insight into the application of EI in different settings. Nonetheless, this article has an inherent weakness. This is whereby the authors engaged in the exchange of ‘letters’ are predominantly preoccupied with correcting the assertions and hypotheses of each other. This is at the expense of conducting further analysis which would enrich the knowledge on EI. Application of the subject matter from the article in the UAE Firstly, it’s worth noting that UAE is predominantly founded on the Islamic culture. Thus, organizational undertakings are based on the value, norms and other tenets of Islamic culture, for instance, Islamic banking in the banking sector. This is bound to hinder the application of the EI based on the fact that there is some sought of a defined way of functioning and operating. Thus, EI might find limited applicability, mostly in the decision making processes based on the fact that the decisions affecting most decisions are to a great extent pre-determined. However, it is imperative to be cognizant of the fact that UAE in the contemporary times is increasingly multi-cultural. This can be attributed to the increased immigration into this region, increased foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as increased involvement of foreigners in the regions labor force. This mixture of cultures in the UAE is bound to have profound influence on how the organizations behave as well as the behavior of the people within these organizations (Reilly & Karounos, 2008). As a result, the leaders in these organizations in the UAE ought to exhibit high EI in solving some of the complexities which emanate from the ‘crash’ of these cultures. This is best epitomized whereby in some cultures, people might prefer to act as cohesive groups while in others, the people might in preference of individualism. Conclusion From the preceding discourse, I have learnt that EI is important in influencing the effectiveness of the leaders in different realms. In addition, I have learnt that efficacy in the decision making and problem solving processes entails a great deal of EI. Thus, those holding leadership positions in different organizations, whether they are private or public institutions, ought to hire employees who exhibit high EI. This is integral in enriching the competitive advantage of the organization. Lastly, I have learnt that different situations call for different levels of EI. References Antonakis, J., et. al (2009).Does leadership need emotional intelligence?. The Leadership Quarterly, 20: 247–261. European Commission (2011). Towards a greater understanding of the changing role of business in society. Brussels: European Commission. ReillyA.H. &Karounos, T.J. (2008). Exploring the Link between Emotional Intelligence and Cross-Cultural Leadership Effectiveness. Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies, 1: 1-13. Scott-Ladd, B. & Chan, C.C. (2004). Emotional intelligence and participation in decision- making: strategies for promoting organizational learning and change. Strategic Change, 13: 95–105. Read More