Emotional Intelligence: Advocating for the Softer Side of Leadership
Abstract
Leadership has often been viewed as more of an art than a science. However, the expanding field of neuroscience is confirming that leadership may be more science than art. While the thinking components of the brain have been noticeably evolving along with the pace of technology, the emotional parts are still very primitive, yet play an important role in leadership and behavior. The latest neurological, psychological, and organizational research is converging towards the fact that emotional leadership is the key ingredient to an organization s performance. Successfully leading in dynamic, complex environments, making wise decisions while facing tremendous resource constraints, avoiding moral and ethical lapses, preventing failures in leadership, building healthy relationships, and fostering resiliency across the workforce is less about the hard skills of cognitive intelligence and more about the soft skills of emotional intelligence. Leaders still need foundational, cognitive skills, but they cannot lead solely from their intellect in today s interconnected world.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA589117
Entities
People
- Richard T. Aldridge
Organizations
- United States Army War College