The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence In Leadership

One type of aggressive behavior is passive-aggressiveness. Leaders that use passive-aggressive behavior have the same intent as aggressive leaders, but are more subtle in their approach. Passive-aggressive behavior is characterized by the following behaviors: disguised hostile humor, unclear feedback, the stirring up office politics, unclear explanations, the blaming of external factors instead of being accountable, having pointless rules, giving the cold shoulder, setting people up to fail, holding grudges, dropping hints without saying what they want, and not being invested in improving employees (Cain). The goal of passive-aggressiveness is to keep employees off-balance, never letting them know exactly what is expected of them, and never

When considering emotional intelligence in the context of leadership, emotional intelligence represents the “people skills” held by effective leaders (Riggio et al.). In understanding why emotional intelligence is critical to effective leadership, one study suggested that this is because “leaders need to understand their own emotions and the emotions of followers in order to encourage and motivate others and to encourage follower creativity. In addition, the quality of leader and follower relationships is dependent on leader emotional intelligence” (qtd. in Riggio et al.) Leaders with high emotional intelligence understand that leadership is about building people up and supporting them. By creating an inspiring environment, effective leaders encourage employees to achieve their goals. High emotional intelligence also helps leaders to regulate their emotions, which is essential when handling stressful situations. Assertive leaders use emotional intelligence to put thought behind their actions, and they understand the consequences of their behavior on others. They use their high emotional intelligence to satisfy their own needs and the needs of their employees while maintaining respect, and do not put other people down in the name of organizational

Interpersonal communication is the way that leaders connect with their employees and share what they know. Leaders must realize that they way in which they communicate leaves a lasting effect on both their employees and their organization. Managers who receive high marks from their employees are those who communicate frequently, use egalitarian rather than a controlling style when communicating, ask instead of demand, and take the needs and feelings of others into considerations when communicating (Sethi and Seth). These managers employ a positive, assertive communication style – powerful, but non-threatening. Leaders that employ an aggressive communication style are less effective, and while assertive leaders encourage employees, aggressive leaders leave employees miserable and less satisfied with their jobs. Aggressiveness is counterproductive and presents problems for employees and organizations. The impact of aggressiveness should not be underestimated, nor tolerated. The good news is that aggressive leaders can become assertive leaders by increasing their emotional intelligence. “If we manage our emotions; that is, blend emotion and thought, we increase the chances that our decisions will be more effective and our lives more adaptable” (qtd. in Ingram et