Leadership 101: Column 3: Leadership and emotional intelligence

Abstract

Scott 146 Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer were among the first researchers to coin the term “emotional intelligence” in 1990 [1]. The abstract of their seminal article defines the concept as “a set of skills hypothesized to contribute to the accurate appraisal and expression of emotion in oneself and in others, the effective regulation of emotion in self and others, and the use of feelings to motivate, plan, and achieve in one’s life.” The concept of EI or EQ, as it is abbreviated, became more widely known following the publication of Daniel Goleman’s best-selling 1995 book Emotional Intelligence [2]. EI is now firmly entrenched in the literature of business, human resources, and education, among other fields. Mayer, a professor of psychology at the University of New Hampshire, further outlines his “four branch model of emotional intelligence” with the four “branches” being the ability to (i) accurately perceive emotions in oneself and others, (ii) use emotions to facilitate thinking, (iii) understand emotional meanings, and (iv) manage emotions [3]. Many writers and researchers have posited varying definitions of EI and its components. Mayer refers to these as “mixed models” of emotional intelligence [4]. Other writers caution against confusing EI with having good social skills. Adele Lynn points out that EI is largely focused on an individual’s internal world, while social skills have to do with external relations [5]. Good social skills are part of having emotional intelligence but do not constitute it. Lynn provides a model of EI that includes five competencies for emotional intelligence: