Intelligence and expertise, as we have traditionally defined them, are only the threshold-level skills for leaders in today's business environment. The concept of
leadership has evolved to include Emotional Intelligence (EI), Social Intelligence
and Spiritual Intelligence as major predictors of success. The definition of EI in the
workplace is not dissimilar to how the concept is ordinarily understood and refers
to the effective handling of oneself and one's relationships with others. Leaders in
particular benefit from high EI since they represent the organisation to the public, interact with the highest number of people within and outside the organisation, and set the tone for mployee morale. Scientific research examining EI as a predictor of effective leaderships gaining momentum.
Current literature on leadership training shows an increased focus on authentic leadership and EI in developing leaders. Defining and measuring EI competencies has proven essential in developing highly effective leaders. EI, and how leaders handle themselves and their relationships, is increasingly described as a leadership competency. Daniel Goleman, the psychologist who authored numerous books on the subject states that 'no matter what leaders set out to do – whether it's creating strategy or mobilising teams to action – their success depends on how they do it. Even if they get everything else just right, if leaders fail in this primal task of driving emotions in the right direction, nothing they do will work as well as it could or should'.
Research conducted in the field of emotion has provided insights in both how to measure the impact of leaders' emotions, as well as methods leaders use to manage their own and other people's emotions. This research shows that being conscious of, and understanding the role of, emotions in the workplace separates the best
leaders from the rest – both tangibles (better business results) and intangibles (higher morale, motivation and commitment). When leaders drive emotions negatively they undermine the emotional foundations that allow people's potential to burgeon. These negative emotions – especially chronic anger, anxiety or a sense of futility – powerfully disrupt work, and redirect attention from the task at hand.
