The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders Versus Thought Leadership

1323 Words6 Pages
The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders versus Thought Leadership There are many schools of thought regarding the most effective qualities of an effective leader. Conventional schools of thought lean towards raw intelligence as the number one factor for spotting a potentially strong leader. But, research has proven otherwise. Though raw intelligence is important, raw intelligence alone does not produce the best leaders. Thought leadership on the other hand lends its theory to the notion that Thought leaders are the informed opinion leaders. They are trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas. They are the go-to people in their field of expertise who turn ideas into reality. They are also known to be skilled at showing others how to replicate their success. In comparison, there are very unique dynamics that differentiate the two yet, in my analysis, they work best hand in hand in the appropriate proportions. Emotional Intelligence In an article written by Daniel Goleman titled “The emotional intelligence of leaders”, Goleman points out many indisputable facts. In this article, a study of outstanding performers in hundreds of organizations was cited. The goal of the study was to identify the qualities that separated the star performers from the rest. The results showed that of all of the participants, the star performers had higher emotional intelligence. As a matter of fact, only one third of the skill that mattered related to raw intelligence and technical expertise. This speaks to the fact that we are emotional beings and our emotions are one of the ways that we connect with each other. This connection many times is unspoken. The energy generated by emotions are very real. Just walk into a room of people crying and you will immediately be overcome by various different emotions depending upon your personality. The second study cited by

More about The Emotional Intelligence of Leaders Versus Thought Leadership

Open Document