Daniel Goleman popularised the concept of Emotional Intelligence and its related tools with his seminal book Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ (Bantam 1997). Goleman draws on the neuroanatomy of David McClelland's Harvard research in 1973 which showed emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management) is important but rarely recognised.

The New Leaders: Transforming the Art of Leadership into the Science of Results (Time Warner 2022) applies Goleman’s theory to leadership. Co-authored with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, they argue the task of leaders is to create resonance in people – a reservoir of positivity that brings out their best. An emotionally intelligent leader sets the emotional level of their organization. This is relevant in business and government but also in military and educational settings.

People turn to leaders, Goleman suggests, for emotional guidance, which is why they often set the temperature, for good or bad. You see that in a boardroom or sports arena, church or parliament, classroom or family as people look to the emotional barometer of the leader (or CEO or parent, CO or pastor). If emotions are pushed towards enthusiasm, performance tends to soar. Goleman explains this with the term ‘resonance’. On the other hand, negative emotions lead to ‘dissonance’. To help a group avoid dissonance and maximise resonance demands an astute leader who can take a group’s emotional pulse and transform the culture in the right direction. A leader's tasks include generating excitement, optimism, passion and cultivating an atmosphere of cooperation and trust. Napoleon said, 'A leader is a dealer in hope'.

Like a skilled golf player chooses different clubs for different plays, emotionally intelligent leaders skilfully switch between six leadership styles for different situations. This includes pacesetting and commanding, but he suggests are to be used sparingly and perhaps at their best after trust has been built with a team through visionary or coaching leadership, or affiliative or democratic, depending on the organisational life-cycle and the task at hand:

• Visionary – ideal for teams addressing a new task and needing a new start.
• Coaching – to foster high performance and develop skills, ideally with high empathy.
• Affiliative – a people-first style focusing on relationships and collaboration among team members.
• Democratic – values individuals’ opinions and forges consensus for a team to make their own choices.
• Pacesetting – where a leader sets and role-models demanding high standards, so it is to be used when there is a strong need for achievement, but also needs the drive to be balanced with empathy.
• Commanding – where a leader directs immediate compliance, especially appropriate in times of crisis when things need to be done right.

These are helpful models for team leaders. They underline the importance of empathy and listening most of the time. Emotionally intelligent leaders will attract good people to work with them and cultivate their passions and strengths because they take the time to listen to them. It has been observed that people join good organisations and leave bad bosses. Perhaps one characteristic of a bad boss is someone who cannot move between leadership styles, or someone who does not know when to value people and team relationships, or when to value the mission and task.

To develop, emotionally intelligent leaders need feedback and learning improvement plans. Organizations need processes like dynamic inquiry and emotionally intelligent leaders to guide them. This presupposes that leadership is learnable, and leaders can become better leaders. Goleman writes on the flexibility emotionally intelligent leaders can exercise:

Resonant leaders know when to be collaborative and when to be visionary, when to listen and when to command. Such leaders have a knack for attuning to their own sense of what matters and articulating a mission that resonates with the values of those they lead. These leaders naturally nurture relationships, surface simmering issues, and create the human synergies of a group in harmony. They build a fierce loyalty by caring about the careers of those who work for them, and inspire people to give their best for a mission that speaks to shared values. (p.248)

For an introduction to emotional intelligence and how it can be learned, see the video Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence (3:52) and for emotional intelligence’s importance in leadership effectiveness, see Daniel Goleman - Emotional Intelligence in Leadership (2:22)

Note:

This expands on a previous mini-review of this book and other business leadership and innovation books in Darren Cronshaw, “The Emerging Church: Pioneering Leadership and Innovation Reading Guide”, Zadok Papers S185 (2011).