Values and Emotional intelligence in Leadership
Abstract
This paper investigated the importance of values and emotional intelligence and other values in improving the effectiveness of leadership qualities. Emotional intelligence explains the ability of an individual to control their emotions while using the same emotion to achieve the optimum outcome from them, depending on the situation at hand. Values on the other hand help in decision-making, which is a key responsibility of leaders. A survey is used to collect data for the study where leaders and subjects are engaged to give views concerning emotional intelligence and the conduct of leaders in their organization. This study assesses the relationship between leadership emotional intelligence and the effectiveness of leadership values. It is proposed that poor feedback strategies leave leaders without a sense of responsibility since nobody steps up to correct their inefficient emotional control. If leaders are advised on the essential values that can help in improving their emotional intelligence, the problem of emotional shortcomings will be eliminated. Leadership is founded on decision-making and therefore emotional intelligence and values such as integrity and honesty are necessary for every leader.
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Topic Description
Leadership is one of the key competencies that an individual requires in their career. Emotional intelligence explains the ability of an individual to control their emotions while using the same emotion to achieve the optimum outcome from them, depending on the situation at hand (Mullen, Limberg, Tuazon & Romagnolo, 2019). Values such as integrity and honesty on the other hand are essential in decision-making. Although emotional intelligence and values are essential for everyone in an organization, they are most useful for people who hold leadership positions. The level of leaders’ emotional intelligence determines the extent to which they will go in maintaining their relationships at the organization. Generally, a leader needs to have more values to support their emotional intelligence so that they can make their leadership effective.
Problem Statement
Leaders are always faced with severe challenges when circumstances place them in dilemmas due to their emotional connections. Poor feedback strategies leave leaders without a sense of responsibility since no one steps up to correct their inefficient emotional control. The role of emotional intelligence in helping leaders to create a boundary between their emotions and their reactions has been underestimated. Also, values help in ensuring that leaders do not forget their responsibilities in decision-making. Research is needed to assess the impact of high emotional intelligence and come up with ways of overcoming low emotional intelligence and weak values among leaders.
Purpose of the Study
This study assesses the relationship between leadership emotional intelligence and the effectiveness of leadership values. Strategies can be proposed in the study to address the low levels of emotional intelligence among leaders. The proposals are made in relation to the effectiveness of emotional intelligence in improving organizational relationships and the values held by the leaders (Toit, Viviers, Mayer, & Visser, 2017). Also, a proposal can be made of a feedback strategy that can help in changing the perspectives of leaders to the need for controlling the emotions in their area of work. If leaders are advised on the essential values that can help in improving their emotional intelligence, the problem of emotional shortcomings will be eliminated.
Significant Research
The issue of emotional intelligence and its impact on leadership values has been a topic of interest for most researchers. Different researchers have come up with different findings and made a different conclusion. For example, Crowne et al. (2017) compared emotional intelligence to developmental leadership and found out that emotional intelligence was more effective. Also, research was done by Hess and Miller (2017) and showed that emotional intelligence is essential in decision-making, which relies on leadership values. Leadership is founded on decision-making, and therefore emotional intelligence is necessary for every leader.
Methodology
A survey is used to collect data for the study. Leaders and subjects are engaged to give views concerning emotional intelligence and the conduct of leaders in their organization. The strategies set by various organizations to see that the emotional intelligence of leaders is improved also assessed. Subordinate responses are used to rate the effectiveness of emotional intelligence through questions aimed at assessing the performance of supervisors. Besides, the subordinates are in a better position to rate their seniors because they are on the receiving end of their emotional intelligence (Vasilagos, Polychroniou & Maroudas, 2017). Also, the values of the subordinates are assessed since leaders tend to pass their values to their subordinates. The data collected will involve as many respondents as possible to minimize the possibility of bias.
References
Crowne, K. A., Young, T. M., Goldman, B., Patterson, B., Krouse, A. M., & Proenca, J. (2017). Leading nurses: emotional intelligence and leadership development effectiveness. Leadership in Health Services.
du Toit, A., Viviers, R., Mayer, C. H., & Visser, D. (2017). Emotional intelligence and leadership in a South African financial services institution. South African Journal of Labour Relations, 41(1), 1-14.
Hess, J., & Miller, B. (2017). Emotional Intelligence, Physician Leadership and Decision- Making within the Clinical Organization. Oklahoma State Medical Proceedings, 1(1).
Mullen, P. R., Limberg, D., Tuazon, V., & Romagnolo, S. M. (2019). Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Attributes of School Counselor Trainees. Counselor Education and Supervision, 58(2), 112-126.
Vasilagos, T., Polychroniou, P., & Maroudas, L. (2017). Relationship between supervisor’s emotional intelligence and transformational leadership in hotel organizations. In Strategic innovative marketing (pp. 91-95). Springer, Cham.