Daniel Coleman Emotional Intelligence Summary

Daniel Coleman was the first to introduce Emotional Intelligence to the masses with his book Emotional intelligence in 1995. He argued that the traditional qualities associated with leadership; such as, intelligence, toughness, determination and vision were not the only traits that created an effective leader. With these attributes, you also needed, what he coined as “emotional intelligence.” Emotional intelligence consists of 5 traits; Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. This new concept was not introduced into the business realm until 1998 and has continued to ignite opposing arguments. However, Coleman’s article continues to be a staple for the subject, outlining the components of emotional intelligence

He goes on to describe that technical skills are important in their success, but insufficient if not integrated with the necessary key segments that make up emotional intelligence. Many large companies have incorporated competency models in their training as a way to identify and promote star performers. These models are organized by grouping the employees’ capabilities into three groups; analytical, cognitive and emotional intelligence. On such models, senior management was asked to classify the skills of the company’s best leaders and psychologist were asked to use objective criteria to distinguish between the high performers and the average ones. The employees were then quizzed to compare their capabilities. When Coleman analyzed the results, he determined that cognitive skills were notably important; however, technical skills and IQ were trumped by the importance of emotional intelligence. Furthermore, Coleman discovered that emotional intelligence played a larger role amongst individuals with higher positions throughout the company. When compared, the average performers showed almost 90% lower levels of emotional intelligence, then their counterparts in higher ranking

People will argue that emotional intelligence is instilled at birth, while others say that we acquire the attributes through our experiences. Science and psychology have proven that it is both. As we grow, so does our emotional intelligence. Many businesses have tried to implement programs to help channel these characteristics; however, they tend to be total duds, because they are not aiming to stimulate the correct part of our brain; the limbic system. Our limbic system is what harnesses our feelings and drives and most training programs are aimed at enhancing our neocortex; which is the part of our brain that comprehends concepts. Learning emotional intelligence is not easy and requires a great deal of effort and persistence. it is clear, that one must be passionate to learn to cultivate the five key elements of emotional