Utilizing Emotional Intelligence to Lead During Uncertainty

During times of uncertain emotions, it is important to recognize and process these emotions effectively.  (Dunn et al., 2007; Mallinger & Banks, 2003). Mayer et al. (2008) defined emotional intelligence as: "The ability to engage in sophisticated information processing about one's own and others' emotions and the ability to use this information as a guide to thinking and behavior" (p. 3). Leaders with higher emotional intelligence were more effective in terms of reaching organizational goals and outcomes (Rosete & Ciarrochi, 2005).

Competencies in Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is an ability to process important information about the emotions of others and ourselves (Mayer et al., 2008). Goleman (1998) discusses emotional intelligence through a prism of a skill-based model that implies a potential to improve and build emotional intelligence through the refinement of various emotional competencies. Mallinger and Banks (2003) outline five major competencies: Emotional Awareness, Self-Regulation, Responsiveness to Situational Cues, Influence, and Decision-making Astuteness. These competencies are defined below with definitions adapted from Mallinger and Banks (2003), Kotzé and Nel (2015) and Goleman (2013).

Emotional Awareness: The ability to recognize your own emotions and mental state while also understanding your own capability and limitations.

Self-Regulation: The ability to control your emotions to properly react in various situations.

Responsiveness to Situational Cues: The ability to efficiently process social situations and actively respond in an appropriate manner.

Influence: The ability to read the emotions of others and empathize allowing you to motivate and positively influence others within the organization.

Decision-Making Astuteness: The ability to make informed decisions through the understanding of others' emotional states and potential reactions.

Strategies for Developing and Improving Emotional Intelligence

The following strategies that were adopted from the work done by Goleman (2013), Mallinger and Banks (2003), and Su (2019) will help improve your emotional intelligence as a leader.

1. Act based on your own ability. Recognize your own capability in every situation and act accordingly. Asking for assistance and collaborating with others is not a sign of weakness, rather it shows strength and accountability to your colleagues. Adopt the mentality that nothing good gets done alone.
2. Be genuine but controlled emotionally. Build a culture of trust and authenticity within your organization through vulnerability and openness with regards to your emotions. Be authentic and genuine, show self-control and discretion to maintain a healthy working relationship with your staff.
3. Take time to process situations before reacting. Do not act impulsively or irrationally. When confronted with emotionally charged situations, allow yourself to detach from the emotion of the situation and carefully consider and measure your response.
4. Be open and honest when discussing your actions and decisions. As a leader, you will face different emotional reactions to the choices you make. Involve employees in the decision-making process when possible. Respect employees' ideas and insights. 
5. Be passionate. Inspire and motivate your employees by showing passion regarding your work and a shared goal. Create open communication channels to allow employees to voice their concerns. Monitor body language and verbal cues to assess employee satisfaction and enthusiasm.

References

Dunn, E. W., Brackett, M. A., Ashton-James, C., Schneiderman, E., & Salovey, P. (2007). On emotionally intelligent time travel: Individual differences in affective forecasting ability. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33(1), 85–93.

Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books

Goleman, D. (2013). The Focused Leader. Harvard Business Review, 91(12), 50–60.

Kotzé, M., & Nel, P. (2015). The influence of trait-emotional intelligence on authentic leadership. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 13(1), 1–16.

Mallinger, M., & Banks, J. (2003). Use emotional intelligence to cope in tough times how managers can help staff deal with job insecurity. Graziadio Business Review, 6(1), 1–8.

Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2008). University of New Hampshire Scholars ' Repository ( 2008 ) Emotional intelligence : New ability or eclectic traits ? Emotional Intelligence : New Ability or Eclectic Traits ? 503–517.

Rosete, D., & Ciarrochi, J. (2005). Emotional intelligence and its relationship to workplace performance outcomes of leadership effectiveness. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 26(5), 388–399.

Su, A. J. (2019). The Power of People- Raise Your Game, Raise the Game of Others. In The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles for Bringing Out Your Best Self--Every Day (pp. 54–70). Harvard Business Press.