Leadership :: essays research papers

What Makes a Leader In this landmark article, Daniel Goleman, the premier expert in the emotional intelligence movement, author of Emotional Intelligence (Bantam, 1995) and Working With Emotional Intelligence (Bantam, 1998) and co-chairman of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, based at Rutgers UniversityÆs Graduate School of Applied Psychology, describes why emotional intelligence is the crucial component of leadership, and how it shows itself at work. The author also describes how emotional intelligence can be enhanced by a distinctly different approach to human resource training. Superb leaders have very different ways of directing a team, a division, or a company. Some are subdued and analytical; others are charismatic and go with their gut. And different situations call for different types of leadership. Most mergers need a sensitive negotiator at the helm, whereas many turnarounds require a more forceful kind of authority. The author has found, however, that effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. In fact, GolemanÆs research at nearly 200 large, global companies revealed that emotional intelligence--especially at the highest levels of a company--is the sine qua non for leadership. Without it, a person can have first-class training, an incisive mind, and an endless supply of good ideas, but he still wonÆt make a great leader. The components of emotional intelligence--self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill--can sound unbusinesslike. But exhibiting emotional intelligence at the workplace does not mean simply controlling your anger or getting along with people. Rather, it means understanding your own and other peopleÆs emotional makeup well enough to move people in the direction of accomplishing your companyÆs goals. Leadership :: essays research papers What Makes a Leader In this landmark article, Daniel Goleman, the premier expert in the emotional intelligence movement, author of Emotional Intelligence (Bantam, 1995) and Working With Emotional Intelligence (Bantam, 1998) and co-chairman of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, based at Rutgers UniversityÆs Graduate School of Applied Psychology, describes why emotional intelligence is the crucial component of leadership, and how it shows itself at work. The author also describes how emotional intelligence can be enhanced by a distinctly different approach to human resource training. Superb leaders have very different ways of directing a team, a division, or a company. Some are subdued and analytical; others are charismatic and go with their gut. And different situations call for different types of leadership. Most mergers need a sensitive negotiator at the helm, whereas many turnarounds require a more forceful kind of authority. The author has found, however, that effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. In fact, GolemanÆs research at nearly 200 large, global companies revealed that emotional intelligence--especially at the highest levels of a company--is the sine qua non for leadership. Without it, a person can have first-class training, an incisive mind, and an endless supply of good ideas, but he still wonÆt make a great leader. The components of emotional intelligence--self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill--can sound unbusinesslike. But exhibiting emotional intelligence at the workplace does not mean simply controlling your anger or getting along with people. Rather, it means understanding your own and other peopleÆs emotional makeup well enough to move people in the direction of accomplishing your companyÆs goals.