What Makes a Leader?
Based on “What Makes a Leader? By Daniel Goldman, HBR, Nov./Dec., 1998
Familiar Stories
2. Someone
Someone with
with solid
solid ––but
but not
not
•• 2.
extraordinary ––intellectual
intellectual
extraordinary
abilities and
and technical
technical skills
skills
abilities
whowas
waspromoted
promotedinto
intoaa
who
similar position
position and
and soared.
soared.
similar
1. Highly
Highly intelligent,
intelligent, highly
highly
•• 1.
skilled manager
manager who
who was
was
skilled
promoted into
into aa leadership
leadership
promoted
position,only
onlyto
tofail.
fail.
position,
• Identifying individuals with
the “right stuff” is more art
than science.
• Personal styles of leaders
vary – some are subdued
and analytical; others shout
from the mountaintops
• Different situations call
for different types of
leadership.
The Most Effective Leaders
• Has a high degree of Emotional
Intelligence (EI)
• IQ and technical skills are not
irrelevant; they are “threshold
capabilities”, i.e., entry level
requirements.
• But EI is sine qua non of
leadership.
• When the ratio of technical
skills, IQ and EI as ingredients
of excellent performance were
calculated, EI is twice as
important as the others for jobs
at all levels.
• The higher the rank of a person
considered to be a star
performer, the more the EI
capabilities showed up as the
reason for his or her
effectiveness.
EI at Work
SKILLS
EI
COMPONENTS
SELF
MANAGEMENT
MANAGING
RELATIONSHIPS
Self-Awareness
Empathy
Self Regulation
Social Skills
Motivation
The Five Components of EI at Work
Components
Definition
Hall marks
SelfAwareness
The ability to recognize and understand your moods,
emotions, and drives, as well as their effect on
others
Self-confidence
Realistic self-assessment
Self-deprecating sense of humour
SelfRegulation
The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses
and moods
The propensity to suspend judgment – to think
before acting
Trustworthiness and integrity
Comfort with ambiguity
Openness to change
Motivation
A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money
or status
A propensity to pursue goals with energy and
persistence
Strong drive to achieve
Optimism, even in the face of failure
Organizational commitment
Empathy
The ability to understand the emotional makeup of
other people
Skill in treating people according to their emotional
reactions
Expertise in building and retaining
talent
Cross-cultural sensitivity
Service to clients and customers
Social Skill
Proficiency in managing relationships and building
networks
An ability to find common ground and build rapport
Effectiveness in leading change
Persuasiveness
Expertise in building and leading
teams
Self-Awareness
• “Know Thyself”
• A deep understanding of
one’s emotions, strengths,
weaknesses, and drives
• Extend to an understanding
of one’s values and goals.
• Display candor and an ability
to assess oneself
realistically.
• Able to speak accurately and
openly – although not
necessarily effusively or
confessionally
• Self-deprecating sense of
humour
• Know and comfortable
talking about their limitations
and strengths
• Self-confidence with a firm
grasp of their capabilities
• Know when to ask for help
Self-Regulation
• An on-going inner
conversation
• Control of their feelings and
impulses and create an
environment of trust and
fairness.
• Calm without rushing in
hasty judgement
• Has a trickle-down effect, no
one wants to be j=known as
a hothead when the boss is
known for a calm approach.
• Able to roll with the changes,
and even lead the way.
• Enhances integrity
• Ability to say no to impulsive
surges
Motivation
• “Driven to achieve beyond
expectations – their own and
others”
• The key word is achieve
• Possess a deeply embedded
desire to achieve for the
sake of achievement
• Passion for work itself
• Unflagging energy to do
things better
• Forever raising the performance
bar
• Remains optimistic even when the
score is against them
• Committed to the organization
• Does not mean a kind of
“I’m okay, you’re okay”
mushiness
• Does not mean trying to
please everyone
• Thoughtful consideration of
other’s feelings in the
process of making decisions
• Very important in leading a
team
Empathy
• Do more than sympathize
with people around them;
they use their knowledge to
improve their organizations
in subtle but important ways.
Social Skills
• Friendliness with a purpose:
moving people in the
direction you desire
• Have a knack for finding
common ground with people
of all kinds
• Culmination of the other
dimensions of EI
• Adept at managing teams
• Expert persuaders
• “No leader is an island”
• The leader’s task is to get
work done through other
people , and social skills
makes that possible.
EI can be learned
•
•
•
•
•
•
There is a genetic component to EI
and nurture plays a role as well.
EI increases with age, i.e., maturity
EI is born largely in the neurotransmitters of the brain’s limbic
system, which governs feelings,
impulses and drives.
The limbic system learns best
through motivation, extended
practice and feedback.
Learning through neocortex which
governs analytical and technical
abilities involves grasps concepts
and logic.
It is part of the brain that figures
out, for e.g., how to use a computer
or make a sales call by reading a
book.
•
•
•
•
•
Many training programmes
on EI mistakenly focuses on
the neocortex, rather than the
limbic system.
Training through the limbic
system takes more time and
require an individualized
approach.
Building EI cannot – will not –
happen without sincere
desire and concerted effort.
But it can be done.
“Nothing great was ever
achieved without
enthusiasm”. Ralph Waldo
Emerson
EI
from “nice to have”
to “need to have”