EQ

Simple Haiku

People are different,

So one way is not enough,

Many ways work the best.

Abstract: While the importance for managers and leaders to be equipped with Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is widely recognized --- the response is weak and insufficient. Many top managers arrive in their first material role lacking key emotional intelligence skills or are woefully ill-EQ-equipped. Half stumble or fail because of it. Despite the strong need and demand and the availability of resources to develop, many still fail to seize the opportunities that could lead to their EQ-enhanced success.

· EQ is not debatable as a requirement for management and leadership roles and jobs.

· As the major source for manager and leader derailment is well documented.

· As our colleague Marshall Goldsmith puts it, ‘What got you here, won’t get you there.’  We know -- When you get here, you must have EQ skills to get there.

· As Kerry Bunker (CCL) found, EQ skills are the last to develop in senior managers and leaders, if they develop at all.

· We promote cognitively and functionally strong performers into top jobs where the material requirement is people management and leadership.

· This explains why nearly 50% of first-time managers and executives experience initial failure. They struggle to build high-performance teams and are often perceived as ineffective people managers.

· It’s also why most people, including people we would like to keep, leave organizations – “bad” bosses who lack EQ drive them out.

· Even with internal job postings, one of the main motivations for applying to a new position is the desire to move away from a boss with whom there is poor alignment and find a better fit within the organization. ‘I like the organization, just don’t like my current boss.’ Unfortunately, many organizations require that the current boss approve the search for another internal position. Generally, it's not a sound rule.

Academics and authors have been debating the definition of EQ forever. And there are many to choose from. I have two that seem to be academically accurate enough AND meaningful to up-and-coming line officers, who don’t have much of it but will need it to get “there.”

First, the two dominant definitions:

Daniel Goleman

The most widely used definition of EQ comes from psychologist and author Daniel Goleman, who describes it as the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and recognize, understand, and influence the emotions of others.

Salovey and Mayer

Another significant definition comes from Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer, pioneers in EQ research. Their definition focuses on the cognitive aspects of emotional intelligence, describing it as the ability to perceive emotions, access and generate emotions to assist thought, understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and reflectively regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth.

Both are valuable and useful. However, my two favorites delve more into the implications: Why does EQ matter in management and leadership? More importantly, what is the return on investment (ROI) of EQ for the developing executive?

EQ for What?

EQ is a critical determinant of success in management and leadership roles. According to research by Marshall Goldsmith, the skills that help individuals reach (get here) leadership positions are not the same skills that will sustain them (to get there). As leaders climb the career ladder, EQ becomes increasingly vital for building high-performance teams, managing interpersonal dynamics, and fostering a positive organizational culture.

Kerry Bunker points out that EQ skills are often the last to develop in senior managers and leaders-if they develop at all. This lag in development can lead to significant challenges, including a high initial failure rate for first-time managers and executives, which often hovers around 50%. These failures typically stem from an inability to manage people effectively and build cohesive, high-performing teams.

Furthermore, the impact of a leader's EQ extends to employee engagement and retention. Poor people leadership, often characterized by low EQ, is a primary reason individuals leave organizations. Even in cases of internal job movement, employees frequently cite misalignment with their current boss as a significant factor.

I prefer an outcome frame and definition while still valuing the academic ones above.

EQ is a set of KSAs (Knowledge of people, Interpersonal Skills, and collaborative Attributes) that enable one to leverage people up, down, sideways, inside and outside the organization to get great (consensus-positive) things done.

To some, leverage is a negative word. And it could be. But in this usage, and in the context of emotional intelligence and leadership, leverage refers to the ability to influence, utilize, and deploy resources- whether people, skills, or information- to achieve positive desired outcomes. It involves strategic thinking and interpersonal acumen to maximize and utilize the potential of each team member, thereby driving personal, team, and organizational success.

The lessor outcome definition is, EQ is the ability to work above, below, with, for and around others to get things done faster and better. Just a simpler version of the other.

I use these outcome definitions when out in “LineLand " because, for decades, they have been couching EQ as the ‘soft skills’ and therefore less valuable than the hard skills (cognitive, functional, and process): being nice to people, having sympathy and compassion for those in need, being warm, and other misunderstandings of EQ.

So, What is EQ? What are the KSAs?

Goleman divides EQ into five key components:

· Self-awareness: The ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions and their effects.

· Self-regulation: The ability to control or redirect disruptive emotions and impulses and adapt to changing circumstances.

· Motivation: A passion for work beyond money and status and a propensity to pursue goals with energy and persistence.

· Empathy: The ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people and treat them accordingly.

· Social skills: Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks.

Salovey and Mayer's model categorizes EQ into four branches:

· Perceiving Emotions: The ability to accurately recognize emotions in oneself and others, including facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language.

· Using Emotions: The ability to harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive activities, such as thinking and problem-solving.

· Understanding Emotions: The ability to comprehend emotional language and appreciate complicated relationships among emotions.

· Managing Emotions: The ability to regulate emotions in ourselves and others.

Roger Pearman's (TalentTelligent) Primary Components of Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Roger Pearman, a noted expert in emotional intelligence (EQ), has developed a comprehensive framework that outlines the key components of EQ. His model emphasizes the interplay between various emotional and cognitive processes that contribute to an individual's overall emotional intelligence. Below are the primary components, as seen by Roger:

· Self-perception: Self-perception is the ability to accurately recognize and understand one’s own emotions, strengths, and limitations.

· Self-Expression: Self-expression is the capability to articulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and beliefs in a constructive and honest manner. It encompasses skills such as assertiveness and emotional expression, enabling individuals to communicate effectively and authentically. Interpersonal Relationships: This component focuses on the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding interactions with others. It involves social awareness, empathy, and the ability to read and respond to interpersonal cues.

· Decision Making: Decision-making refers to using emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. It includes problem-solving skills, reality testing, and impulse control, ensuring that emotions do not cloud judgment.

· Stress Management: Effective stress management is the ability to cope with and manage stress in a healthy way. This involves resilience, stress tolerance, and the capacity to remain composed and effective even in challenging situations.

· Self-actualization: Self-actualization is the drive to realize one’s full potential and pursue meaningful goals. It reflects a commitment to personal growth, ongoing learning, and pursuing one’s true passions and aspirations.

All good and true. A bit of a difference in wordsmithing and chunking preferences? Taken together, they are complete.

EQ KSAs, in the portfolio of behaviors of a manager or a leader, can result in more effective Idiosyncratic Differentiated people exchange and management. A fancy way of saying people are different, so a manager or leader needs to be willing and able to treat, handle, manage, and engage with each person differently to maximize the ROI.  Leveraging others, one at a time, to get great things done.  An EQ-equipped manager or leader is flexible, adaptive, and adjustive. The manager or leader should adjust to the needs of the individual and not the other way around. That’s one of the reasons why we pay bosses more.

EQ starts with self-awareness and self-management. Especially emotional management (decision making), when to use and consider, and when it is unproductive. That’s the science of self. It includes mindfulness, which is attention, focus, and reflective skills.

The rest is the science of others. Why do people do what they do, compared to me (using self as a measurement point). What motivates others to be fully engaged, compared to me? What are people looking for in me as a manager or leader, compared to me? What do they want from the organization, compared to me? How aligned are they to the values and goals of the organization, compared to me?

Most of all, it is being able and willing to do any of the 100 best EQ practices (behaviors) that lead to collaborating to get great things done. The 100 answers to the question, "What is the best way for me to..."

Absolute Fact. All EQ KSAs can be learned. They certainly are known. Read the above. And then they can be honed into skills. Practice. And then personal attributes can be adjusted to deliver quality EQ practices. Listen more. Anyone can add to their EQ portfolio.

AI is going to make enhancing EQ skills easier than it has been in the past. The 100 best practices will be in an EQ advisor AI application. It is already. We have just launched our newest AI companion: the EQ Architect©. This tool supports emotional intelligence (EQ) personal and team development and enhances EQ workshops, coaching, and assessments. You can try it out for free!

Bob and LM Hanson

www.TalentTelligent/com or the EQ Architect©