Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace
Cameron A. Stewart
Eastern Washington University
Administration, Organization, and Supervision in Recreation and Leisure Services (RCLS 470)
Dr. Matthew Chase
June 3, 2010
Introduction
Emotional intelligence on the job and specifically in an individual occupying a leadership position can have vast ramifications. A hidden, but often crucial, dimension of leadership, the emotional affect of what a leader says and does, certainly affects those all important intangibles such as higher morale, motivation, and commitment (Goleman & Boyatzis, McKee, 2002, p.12). This paper will explore the successful use of emotional intelligence in effective leadership, specifically related to the change in leadership in a library setting.
Emotional intelligence is increasingly relevant to organizational development and developing people, because it provides a new way to understand and assess people’s behaviors, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Emotional intelligence and feelings of team and non-team members are among the most important resources an organization has in addressing challenges and reaching goals. Defining emotional intelligence and its ability to predict management outcomes is key to explaining how knowing and managing your emotions can help a leader motivate themselves and others (Goleman, 2006, p.23).
The systematic study of emotional intelligence (EI) is often dated to the early 1990s, when scientific articles suggested that there existed an unrecognized but important human mental ability to reason about emotions and to use emotions to enhance thoughts (Mayer, 1999, para.1).
The phrase "emotional intelligence" was coined by Yale psychologist Peter Salovey and the University of New Hampshire's John Mayer to describe qualities like understanding one's own feelings, empathy for the feelings of others and "the regulation of emotion in a way that enhances living”(Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey,... [continues]

Read full essay