Emotional intelligence theory

The theory of emotional intelligence was first publicized in the book “Emotional Intelligence” (1995), written by Daniel Goleman, based around the previous findings of psychologists such as Howard Gardner, Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer . Mayer and Salovey defined it as “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions” . Essentially, the emotional intelligence theory is important to organizational development and leadership as it allows one to better understand and assess the behaviors and attitudes of people, their interpersonal skills as well as their management methods. While the theory encompasses the five core leadership values espoused by Dale Crownover, it specifically focuses on the skills of self-understanding, intuition, and empowerment. Goleman expanded on the previous work in the field by defining five components essential to an emotionally intelligent leader:
• Self-awareness: This consists of knowing your own feelings and understanding the impact of these emotions on other people
• Self-regulation: Self-regulation requires the management or control of one’s own emotions, and the prediction of the consequences of actions taken because of emotions
• Motivation: This involves using emotional factors to achieve objectives
• Empathy: Empathy entails sensing and understanding the emotions of others
• Social skills: Social skills include the process of managing relationships, providing inspiration and producing the desired responses to emotional stimuli
Goleman also holds that the emotional aspects of intelligence (measured by an EQ test) are just as, if not more important than the more traditional rational aspects of intelligence (measured by IQ tests) in leadership. Without effective self-management as dictated by the first three components, subordinates inside the organization will be unable