Journal Article

How Emotions Affect Us: A Brief Introduction to Emotional Intelligence When searching for an understanding

of E.I. (Emotional Intelligence), also referred toasE.Q. (EmotionalQuotient), it is clear the term has various interpreta- tions. Wharam’s (2009) definition “EQ is to the heart what IQ is to the brain” (p. 7) seems appropriate. Emotions can have a great deal of influence on rational behav- ior. Emotionally intelligent leaders are more sensitive to their own emotions and the effect they have on others. Bradberry andGreaves(2009)foundemotional intel- ligence is the single most significant

predictorofperformancein theworkplace and accounts for 58 per cent of perfor- manceacross-the-boardintheworkworld. Emotionscomefromreactions toexpe-

riences in life. Victor Frankl (1959) remarkedtheonly thinghumanbeingscan control is their own reactions (emotions) to the situations in which they find them- selves. Howonechooses todealwithnot onlyone’sownemotions,but theemotions of others as well, will determine a great dealabout theexperienceonehasboth in life and in leadership situations. The following is an example of the

powerofemotionsandhowanactofmak-

EMOTIONS, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADERSHIP: A BRIEF, PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE

JAY INGRAM, M.A. Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, Kentucky

DR. JOSEPH CANGEMI Emeritus Professor of Psychology

& Scholar-In-Residence

Department of Psychology Bowling Green, Kentucky

When people think of emotions, usually they think of different states of being, such as happiness, sadness, or anger. However, emotions generate very powerful chemicals that can create pos- itive feelings, such as motivation and enthusiasm, or they can create more negative responses, such as offending and even attacking others. When an emotionally charged situation occurs, understanding the process taking place then and there can help leaders become more objective decision-makers. Bradberry and Greaves (2009) posited:

The daily challenge of dealing effectively with emotions is crit- ical…because our brains are hard-wired to give emotions the upper hand…everything you see, smell, hear, taste and touch travels through your body in the form of electric signals. These signals pass from cell to cell until they reach…the place where rational, logical thinking takes place. This journey ensures you experience things emotionally before your reason can kick into gear (authors’ emphasis) (p. 6).

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ingpeople feelsignificantcanmakealast- ing, positive impression:

SamPreston,whoretired fromS.C. Johnson Wax after many years of service as an executive vice presi- dent…usedtomakeitapoint tosend handwritten notes when he noticed somebody doing something that meritedrecognition.Thenotewould say, “Congratulations on a job well done,” with the letters “DWD” scrawledacross the top.DWDstood for “damned well done.” When he retired, the company held a retire- mentparty forhim.Hewasamazed at the number of people who lined upclutchingwrinkledyellowpieces of paper, fifteen years old, with “DWD” scrawled across the top. That little act of recognition and appreciation meant so much to the people under him that they kept thosenotesall thoseyears.Aseem- ingly insignificant act with a significantoutcome.Thelesson: It’s important tomakepeoplefeelappre- ciated (Sanborn, 2006, pp. 52-53).

Leadership Leaders with high emotional intelli-

gence can create situations like Sam Prestondid.Lesserdevelopedleaderswill struggle to attain this, if ever. If leaders cannotdevelopagenuinedesireonthepart of others to follow them, team and orga- nization goals will be at risk of failure. Defining leadership can be difficult.

According to Stogdill (1974) leadership

has as many definitions as there are peo- pledefiningit.Thenumerousstyles, roles, and types of leadership behavior make developingasingledefinitionchallenging. Leaders come in many different venues, fromthehighest rankingofficer inanorga- nization to the well respected floor sweeper. Sanborn (2006) and Cangemi (2011) stated leadership is about influ- ence.Titlealonewillnotnecessarilydeliver influence. It is interesting to observe how many

successful leadersgenerally tendtoattract others who want to be with them and around them. These leaders have a posi- tive, encouraging disposition in their relationships (Glasser, 1998), creating in others a sense of being valued. They are keenly sensitive and perceptive and rec- ognize life isheavilyaffectedbyemotions – especially their own. The saying “you can’t learn to surf by

reading books about it” goes for leader- ship as well. Ten years reading about leadership means very little when one is responsibleforagroup’ssuccess. Thedif- ference between merely reading about leadership and actually leading is sub- stantial, because there is a certain feel connectedwithleadershipthatsimplyread- ing cannot deliver. Consider the first time General Eisenhower actually led combat troops in World War II. Before that time he had developed a reputation as one of the Army’s most renowned planners (Korda, 2007) but he had never personal- lyexperiencedcombat leadership.Result: his first real combat experience, code namedOperationTORCH,theInvasionof NorthAfrica,November7,1942,bordered

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ondisaster–withconsiderable lossof life (Korda, 2007; Budiansky, 2011). His record after this first-hand experience speaks for itself. Leadership is about supporting and

guidingassociates toachievesuccess. San- born (2006) stated those who choose to lead build people up, support and encour- age them,andthencreate themintoheroes (p.52). In reality, leadership is not about becoming a star; it is about creating stars (www.creativeleadershipandchange.com). Leaders project attitudes and feelings

that affect others. Unless leaders can sep- arate emotion, there will be a risk that emotion will sway judgment and intelli- gentdecisionmaking.AccordingtoCaruso and Salovey (2004) intelligent, rational decisionmakingcanbefacilitatedbyemo- tions, resulting in more appropriate behavior. Dealing with strong emotions likeanger,dislike,anddisappointment, for example,andhavingtheability tomakethe right judgment/decisionswhile theseemo- tions are pressing for expression, is an important key to choosing the best of behavioralternativesavailable totheleader at themoment.Leadersareresponsible for how they feel about a situation at the moment theyareexperiencingit,andmake the best of it.

E-Motivation Segal (1997) made the point the word

emotion comes from the Latin moiere, which means “to move.” It is not a coin- cidence the words emotion, motion, and motivationareall spellednearly thesame. Motivation simply is the drive to accom- plish something (Wareham, 1991).

Emotions motivate us to act instead of being lethargic. Being passionate about something is what motivates us to pursue it. No emotions, no activity! In Lee Iacocca’s book Where Have All

theLeadersGone? (2008),hehighlighted the struggles of being in a family of Ital- ian immigrants and the discrimination he experiencedagainsthimandthem.Itwould not be a stretch of the imagination to assumethisdiscrimination,andasenseof inferiority that may have developed as a result of this, created an intense motiva- tion in Iacocca to achieve success. Abraham Maslow (1976) pointed out

humanshaveaneedtofeelsignificantand useful. Lombardi (1975) stated all human beings are trying to achieve a sense of importance, a sense of significance, and haveahighneedto feelcapable.Dothese ideas perhaps explain the intense feelings behindIacocca’smotivation that led tohis extraordinary success? Leaders must create a culture that

inspires and moves associates to pursue goalattainment—boththeirsandtheorga- nization’s. It is within this type of culture motivationcanbedevelopedandsustained. It would be an oxymoron to believe an authoritarian culture encourages the type of motivation described in this article. Most people confuse fear with real moti- vation.Realmotivation is inside.External motivation —such as fear created by a leader —is outside and usually will dis- appear as soon as the authoritarian leader is out of the picture. Individuals in the workplace prefer a culture that promotes a sense of support and recognition, thus encouragingthedevelopmentofmotivation

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to achieve one’s own goals as well as the organization’s goals. How many people have quit one orga-

nization to work for another for far less monetary reward? Often they are seeking a working environment where fear is not the leader’s choice for motivating behav- ior. Actually, most people don’t quit jobs, theyquit their leaders. Internalmotivation continues without a leader’s presence because it does not depend on the leader. The leader (often with input from associ- ates) is responsible for creating the organization’s goals and environment, wherethemotivationcandevelop.It ispos- sible the positive environment created by the leader is more important than mone- tary compensation. Such leaders usually have a transformational leadership style, which isaprocesswherebythe leadercre- ates a positive connection with associates that enhances their feelings (emotions) of significance,generates thedevelopmentof higher levels of motivation, and encour- ages the development of their highest

potential (Northouse, 2007; Maslow, 1976).

Emotions/Emotional Intelligence at Work Emotions exist for a reason and indi-

vidualscanbecomevictimsof themoruse them to their advantage. Leaders have to deal with the emotions of associates and others, as well as their own, whether they want to or not. Caruso & Salovey (2004) emphasized,

Ifwecanmanageouremotions; that is, blend emotion and thought, we increase the chances that our deci- sionswillbemoreeffectiveandour livesmoreadaptive. This is thechal- lenge of emotion management – neither to suppress feelings nor to vent them but to reflect on them, integrate themwithourthinking,and use themasasourceof information and an inspiration for intelligent decision making (p. 73).

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The followingsequenceillustrateshow emotional intelligenceunfoldsandblends when leaders are dealing with an associ- ate or other stakeholders.

The sequence begins by leaders: 1. Identifying their own emotions in a given situation (how they feel).

2. Managing their own emotions in that situation and reflecting on them.

3. Then Understanding the emotions of the individual/group with whom they are interacting. Next, after sensing the feelings – emotions – of the individual or group, blending their own managed emotions and thinking with the under- standingof theemotions/feelingsof the other(s), which leads to:

4. A more positive Interpersonal rela- tionship and the probability of a more successful outcome.

Identifying and Managing Emotions Maslow(1976)understoodhowimpor-

tant it is to use emotions in the right way andofferedthefollowingasanexampleof when to not show emotion:

“…the leader in many situations ought not to be as expressive and open about himself as other people are permitted and encouraged to be…the example of the captain of the ship which is in danger, or the surgeon or the general in the army who may entertain all sorts of dark suspicions and fears, and so on, but who had better keep their mouths shutrather thanopenupfreelyabout their ‘anxieties’ (p. 172).”

AccordingtoSchmidtetal. (2007),non- verbalmessageswesendareprincipallythe way the world gets to know us and judge us – no matter the setting (pp. 95-96). Mehrabian (1972) found people convey 55%oftheirattitudesandfeelings through body language (how they approach, how they stand, gesture, etc.), 38% through voice tone, andonly7%through theactu- alwords themselves. Conclusion: thereal language of human beings is non-verbal! As stated earlier, an emotionally intel-

ligent leadercan identify,useandmanage emotions to solve problems. Unlike lead- erswhoarenotasawareof theiremotions — and the emotions of others — emo- tionally intelligent leaders understand the difference between being too emotional and not being emotional enough. Having the ability to read body language, espe- cially their own, gives them a distinct advantage,for theyknowhowtoproject the message they want others to receive by using theirownbodylanguage.Forexam- ple, ifacompanyisabout todownsizepart of itsworkforceand the leadermustmake the announcement to employees, an emo- tionally intelligent leaderwouldrealize the message in all likelihood will be received withfearandanxiety. This leadermustbe able honestly to demonstrate feelings that project concern and empathy for their plight. An emotionally unaware leader could cause major problems by portray- ingadetached,unfeeling, distant attitude toward the downsized employees, whose emotions then could“bubbleup,”become hostile, anddrive themto turnonboth the leader and the company, resulting in con- siderable destruction and sabotage.

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Emotions and thoughts, positive or nega- tive, become actions. Bradberry and Greaves (2005) con-

ductedastudyutilizingmorethan500,000 people to determine how emotions play a role inday-to-day lifebyfocusingonhow people perceived their own behavior and bodylanguageversushowothersperceived them. The results showed a startling lack ofemotionalawareness. Accordingto the study, 67% of those sampled generally were controlled by their own emotions, werenotable to identify them—norable to use them to their benefit. Only about 33% were able to identify their feelings (emotions) as they happened (p. 39), sug- gesting lack of emotional awareness is likely the basis for a great deal of inter- personal conflict. Myers (2004) pointed out emotionally intelligent people tend to be“smarter” than their“academicallyori- ented”colleaguesbecause theyarehighly self-awareandincontrolof theiremotions in the short-run for greater future gains. They can “read” other people’s emotions at the moment, thereby controlling them- selves and responding appropriately and skillfully (p. 35).

Why EQ is Important for Success — Especially in Leadership TheGreekphilosopherAristotlestated,

“Anybody can become angry — that is easy,but tobeangrywith the rightperson andto therightdegreeandat theright time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy” (Citation, Brainy Quotes, 360 BC). Aristotle believed the ultimate goal for humanity is to improve

relationshipsandsolveproblems.Conflicts are a part of life and it is imperative lead- ers learn to navigate through them intelligently. Sixty-five percent (65%) of performance problems at work happen becauseof sometypeofconflict; i.e., per- sonal conflicts, internal politics, different work styles, and stress (LeBaron, 2003). Emotionally intelligent leadersareable to recognize theearlystagesof theirownris- ing emotions and impending conflict and avoid them altogether, if at all possible. An imperative: control of emotions is essential; combat is a choice.

Negative Emotions Also Are Valuable Projecting positive emotions may not

always be the best strategy from an emo- tionally intelligent leader. Sometimes, it maybemoreproductive tochallengesub- ordinates emotionally and spark passion. Take, for example, this approach utilized byJackWelch, thelegendaryleaderofGE. Welch was giving a dinner speech to an organization of poor-performing elites withinGE’smanagementcalledTheElfun Society:

Welch bluntly told the assembled group they were…of little value…his speechwasnot received with a great deal of warmth…This message delivered a strong dose of medicine that was needed because thepatient…theSociety–wassick. Welch administered the cure, and it hurt. The Elfun Society re-engi- neereditselfsometimeafterWelch’s attack — an attack we might now view as a wake-up call and a chal-

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lenge…Sometimes, the emotional- ly intelligent leader must confront others and generate conflict as well as negative feelings in order to be effective. The key is to know when and how to do it, just as Welch did during that dinner speech (Caruso & Salovey, 2004, pp. 174-175).

Leaders Beware ! During times of passion, emotions

become stronger than facts. Emotionally unaware leadersmayhaveadifficult time identifyingandunderstanding thereasons why others, who love their jobs and who aretopperformers,becomeemotional,quit and go elsewhere, sometimes even earn- ing less money! Their reasons are emotional — not economic. They leave because they feel unappreciated, not val- ued, talked-down-to, creating in them a feeling of insignificance. A recent study by Sand, Cangemi, and Ingram (2011) found the number-one reason people quit their jobs is lack of appreciation — an emotional reason.As statedearlier in this article,employeesusuallydonotquit their jobs for another company, they quit their bosses! Everyone has a need to feel sig- nificant, to be valued as a person, and to havehis/herworkappreciated—orat least their effort (Maslow, 1976; Lombardi, 1975; Wareham, 1991).

Conclusion Results seem clear: emotional intelli-

genceisakeycomponentvirtuallyrequired for leadershipsuccess. In today’sbusiness world, people spend more and more time

infrontof theircomputers, iPhones,Black- berries, etc., away from communicating face to facewithassociatesandothers. In this rapidly increasing digital network of decreasingsocial interaction, ithasbecome easy to hide emotions behind the warm glow of a monitor or a text message. Yet, emotionswill alwaysbe thereand leaders must be aware of them. By being aware of theirownemotionsand theemotionsof others, leaders can gain control of their emotions instead of becoming victims of them.Althoughunderstandingwhentouse andwhennot touseemotionscanbechal- lenging, the effectiveness of how a leader dealswithhisorherownemotionsandthe emotions of others will have a significant advantagebothwithinandoutsidetheorga- nizationwhencomparedwith leaderswho donothavesuchcapability. The best news yet: enhancing emotional intelligence can be learned.

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