Board of Advisors

We have long recognized the importance of cognitive intelligence, or IQ, in determining a leader’s success and effectiveness. Increasingly, leaders and researchers are recognizing the critical importance of emotional intelligence, or EQ, as well. Some have suggested that emotion, more than cognitive ability, drives our thinking and decision making, as well as our interpersonal relationships. In a study of leaders, two-thirds of the difference between average and top-performing leaders was found to be due to emotional competence, with only one-third due to technical skills. Emotional intelligence refers to a person’s abilities to perceive, identify, understand, and successfully manage emotions in self and others. Being emotionally intelligent means being able to effectively manage ourselves and our relationships. The competencies and abilities of emotional intelligence are grouped into four fundamental categories – self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management. Emotional intelligence enables leaders to recognize and respect followers as whole human beings with feelings, opinions, and ideas of their own. They can use their emotional intelligence to help followers grow and develop, see and enhance their self-image and feelings of self-worth, and help meet their needs and achieve personal and organizational goals.