Today I got into a discussion with some colleagues about leadership behaviours.  The question arose what is more important for a leader, a high IQ (i.e., smart) or strong ability to interact with others (i.e., charismatic)

In his 1995 milestone book, American pyschologist Daniel Goleman proposed that while IQ probably represented the price of entry for great leaders(you needed at least some minimum IQ to succeed)  more important and a key determiner of success  was how you behaved.

He labled the measure of this ability to interract with others your emotional intelligence (EQ).  Goldman also developed a framework of five elements that can be measured to define your level of emotional intelligence.

An interesting side to this is the belief EQ can be developed and improved while many believe your IQ is what you were born with and cannot be developed.

Goldmans EI model has a great following in the by organizations around the world and has been adopted in various iterations by many companies.

Goldmans 5 Characteristics

Below are drastically  edited versions of Goldman’s 5 behavioural characteristics (for simplicity) taken from this website.  This just to give a flavour of what he considered behaviours that contributed to a high EQ..  For me, a high EQ equals a powerful and effective leader.

1) Self-Awareness – Self-aware people understand their emotions, and because of this, they don’t let their feelings rule them. They’re confident – because they trust their intuition and don’t let their emotions get out of control.  Many people believe that this self-awareness is the most important part of EI.

2) Self-Regulation – This is the ability to control emotions.  People who self-regulate typically don’t allow themselves to become too angry or jealous, and they don’t make impulsive, careless decisions.
3) Motivation – Motivated people are willing to defer immediate results for long-term success. They’re highly productive, love a challenge, and are very effective in whatever they do.
4) Empathy – This is the second-most important behaviour. Simply put, it is the ability to identify with and understand the wants, needs, and viewpoints of those around you.
5) Social Skills – Those with strong social skills are typically team players. Rather than focus on their own success first, they help others develop and shine.

Curious What Your EQ is?

There are numerous EQ test available on the internet that will provide you with an estimationof your EQ and an idea of areas you might to focus on to improve your EQ and so your leadership capability.