A641.3.3.RB_BorutyAlan_Working with EI: Getting Results!

The Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EI) got its name in 1990 when Salovey and Mayer created the initial framework for EI in their article titled Emotional Intelligence: Imagination, Cognition, and Personality.  Daniel Goleman took an interest and in 1995 published his book Emotional Intelligence.  Not long after this, Goleman made the connection between EI and leadership.  But, EI is not new.  Human beings have always had emotions and therefore some level of emotional awareness, though it has most likely evolved a little over the years.

Today Goleman (2012) refers to EI as how well we handle ourselves and our relationships across the four domains or dimensions of self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and skilled relationships (Goleman, 2012).  These dimensions side by side can be seen as the full spectrum of EI.  No one masters EI.  Unlike cognitive intelligence and personality that are set early in life and generally do not change, EI is learned and it develops over one’s lifetime, increasing every decade or so (Goleman, 2013).  I wonder, could this be the reason behind the saying ‘with age comes wisdom’?

EI has recently gained the attention of employers.  Research has started to produce results. The results support EI as a predictor of performance.  EI is “the single biggest predictor of performance in the workplace and the strongest driver of leadership and personal excellence” (Bradberry & Grieves’, 2009, p. 21) as cited by (Colfax et al., 2010, p. 91).  Presumably, employers have seen this data and are experiencing employees without EI.  Many of the skills employers value and seek are clearly EI factors.  With that said, let us take a closer look at the four dimensions of EI.  

Before we can understand others, we must first understand ourselves.  Self-awareness is really the primary dimension because without it, the others will be difficult to develop.  “Self-awareness is the ability to know what we are doing as we do it and understand why we are doing it” (Jeffrey, 2017).  I believe that I was self-aware in my work center where I was comfortable and with my people, each of whom I knew well and had well established relationships.  I was comfortable in the environment created  by my team. Negativity was rare.  I intuitively knew who would want specific job assignments.  We were absolutely connected and on the same frequency.  If a team member had a problem or just did not feel well.  Not only did I pick up on it, so did the rest of the team.  Self-awareness is a strength for me in the work setting, but it has to evolve which can take time for everyone to get in tune.  If a new person was assigned to the team, it would disrupt the team dynamic.  I attribute the disruption to myself.  Establishing new relationships and meeting new people is not a strong point of mine.  Establishing relationships and developing trust are the areas in self-awareness I need to develop.  As a side note: outside of the work center I do not believe my self-awareness is at the same level.

Self-management is one of my strong points.  I do not lose my temper.  I do not have impulse reactions.  I can take criticism objectively.  I can remain calm in the storm and be the settling voice of reason.  Switching to plan B or C or starting over completely is not an issue as long as we execute the best plan.  I loved my job and I shared that freely.  My weak area is handling conflict between team mates.  I usually feel as though I have to choose a side without all the pertinent information.  I prefer to facilitate resolution and allow the combatants to resolve their own issue.  I can get angry if I am forced to choose one over the other or resolve the problem for them.  Conflict is normal, in fact it is usually productive.  If conflict goes past professional disagreement, I have to consciously, manage my rising emotions and choose my words carefully and deliberately.  Teams I have lead have complemented my ability to keep my cool, remain calm, and operate under pressure.

Have empathy or compassion.  I am extremely empathic…almost to a fault.  I am basically a grumpy, cantankerous, soft-hearted pushover.  I can feel what they are going through and I am compelled to do whatever I can to help resolve the issue.  I care deeply about my people…people in general.  Seeing someone in distress draws me like a magnet.  I said almost to a fault because in some situations, I feel out of control or powerless to do anything but respond to the situation.  Then I feel as though I wear their emotions on my sleeve.  It may be possible that during these situations which are thankfully the exception, I leave myself vulnerable to be taken advantage of.  I do not become a ‘basket case’ and I have never been taken advantage of, but I do feel sucked in to the moment. 

Putting everything together to establish and develop skilled relationships is an area I need to develop.  I need to qualify this statement.  This problem exists within my team but only minimally so.  When someone new is assigned to my team, I feel a little awkward but it gets better very quickly often during a single conversation.  Outside of my immediate group, I am uncomfortable and nervous enough meeting someone new, it gives my new friends a bad impression.  I do not know why this happens but it does and I have not been able to change it.  The next time I meet with the person, the atmosphere seems different, my nerves are not on edge, and the impression changes.  I should rephrase…I actually make the situation awkward but it is not intentional.  My problem with initial introductions effects my ability to create and develop skilled relationships, but I do have to work harder and it takes more time to build the connection.

Emotional intelligence is currently receiving much positive attention.  It appears the continued testing will produce similar results.  Like many people, common sense told me that organizations filled with EI people had to have a positive effect. The connection to performance is very strong.  The connection to leadership excellence is also solid.  Research still has work to do, but I am happy that EI is being put to use in organizations.  It is indeed a step forward in my humble opinion.

~Pete

References:

Colfax, R. S., Rivera, J. J., & Perez, K. T. (2010). Applying emotional intelligence (EQ-i) in the workplace: Vital to global business success. Journal of International Business Research, 9, 89-98. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/875107728?accountid=27203

Goleman , D. (2012 April 23). Daniel Goleman introduces emotional intelligence [Video file}. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7m9eNoB3NU&t=34s

Goleman, D.,(2013 September 5). Daniel Goleman explains emotional intelligence [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsdqBC1tHTA

Jeffery, S. (2017). A comprehensive guide to developing self-awareness. Retrieved from: http://scottjeffrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Self-Awareness-Guide-Scott-Jeffrey.pdf

A641.2.3.RB_BorutyAlan_Am I a Resonant Leader

 Am I a Resonant Leader

Am I a resonant leader?  I suppose this is the kind of question I need to get used to answering in graduate school.  If I say yes I am a resonant leader, will the complex adaptive leader in me become jealous?  Will there be conflict with the storyteller in me?  I was a leader at some level and in some capacity in military and civilian organizations for nearly 35 years.  I have had the privilege of witnessing excellent leaders practice their craft and I have experienced bad leaders embarrass themselves publicly.  I have been both of those leaders at different points in my career.  My worst failures resulted in me not getting the job done and having to stand in front of the person that believed in me and tell them I failed.  Fortunately for me, that was the exception and not the rule.  I was allowed to reflect on how I had handled the situation, determine what I needed to change, and go over my discoveries with the boss who would send me back in expressing absolute confidence in me.  The process was much the same when I felt I did a great job.  The line of questioning was different.  How could I have done even better?  Who stood out as the best worker?  Should they be recognized over their peers?  After my first two years or so in the Air Force, I was blessed with good supervisors.

Today marks the end of the second week of this course called Resonant Leadership.  Two weeks and one day ago, I had never heard of resonant leadership before.  So if I have to answer the question, ‘Am I a resonant leader?’, right now my answer would be no, how could I be?  I have never practiced it nor have I knowingly seen it being practiced.  I have learned a little about it.  Much of it I like, however, there are a couple of things about it I do not like.

Resonant leadership and emotional and social intelligence are inseparable.  Without each of the tenants of emotional intelligence one cannot create resonance (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005).  Going through the workbook was stressful for me.  I have a difficult time evaluating myself for some reason, but I did it.  I have always thought that I am emotionally intelligent.  I am aware of my emotions, I manage my emotions, and I understand the people and the environment and interact well.  I am not prone to emotional outbursts or mood swings and I interact well with others on an emotional level.  I have doubts in the area of relationship management.  I do not establish relationships very easily.  I am shy and awkward when I first meet people.  The first impression I leave is I am better than them.  That was a hard piece of feedback to chew because I feel just the opposite.  I feel they are out of my league.  The second and third meeting is when I get comfortable.  I have been this way my entire life.  Finally, I am not a dynamic speaker and I generally fall short of inspirational leadership.  Once I know people, things resolve themselves quickly, everything except speaking publicly.

The final exercise for the reading is designed to help me determine if and answer the question, Am I a Resonant Leader?

Am I inspirational?  No, I can influence, motivate, and persuade.  I have never been comfortable with inspirational leadership style.  So, I really never used it. 

Do I create an overall positive emotional tone that is characterized by hope?  I do maintain a positive attitude.  I liked being at work, and I loved working on airplanes.  When people were struggling with a class or with their training, hope came in the form of encouragement and expressing confidence in their ability. 

Am I in touch with others? Do I really know what is in others hearts and on their minds?  I always made it a point to know the people that worked for me and with me.  I can say that I knew what was going on with each of my people.  I knew them and their families.  I spoke to everyone at least casually every day.  I would be able to detect something wrong in the way they said good morning.  But if something was happening, they almost always talked to me about it.

Do I regularly experience and demonstrate compassion?  I understood the wants and needs of my people well.  We talked about those kinds of things every time we did formal feedback.  I cared about each person and I wanted them to achieve their goals and get what they wanted while they served.  I would adjust schedules so someone could take a college class and be home with the kids until Mom or Dad got home from work.  The rest of the shop would do what they could to cover for their peer because they knew it was reciprocal.  They helped each other because they knew I would do everything I could if they needed help.  They gave compassion to me as well.  When the phone rang at the end of the day on Friday everyone knew we had waited just a little too long to leave.  Not one of them would leave until they made sure I was not going to need help.

Am I authentic and in tune with myself, others, and the environment?  I am me, nothing more and nothing less.  My people could tell by observation: what I say, the tone of my voice, and my gestures all match as usual.  If I had been anything other than authentic and in tune, they would immediately known something was wrong.  I quit trying to impress early in my career and decided to just be myself.  As a leader, being myself is the only leadership style that never failed me.

I believe I could get passed my concerns and create resonance.  But I am not sure that I want to at this point.  Resonance is fragile.  A bad day or two is all it takes to no longer be able to create resonance.  All of the components have to be perfectly in place or the magic simply does not happen.  Resonance promises impressive results that every leader would love to achieve.  But, establishing resonance is hard, sustaining it (if you can) takes so much out of the leader that it can be detrimental to their health, and it requires an antidote (renewal) to negate the effects of resonant leadership.

Not every leader can achieve resonance.  “Great leaders are resonant” (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005, p. 2).  Therefore, not all leaders can be great.  “Resonance or dissonance: the leader’s choice” (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005, p. 4).  No leader wants to be bad nor would they choose dissonance which is not referred to in a positive light in anything I have read to date.  This also implies that these are the only two choices for leadership at all: resonant (great, wonderful, and highly revered) and dissonant (bad, destructive, and damaging to self, followers, and organization). 

I have not closed my mind at all on Resonant Leadership.  It is only the second week in the class.  I am enjoying the subject and truly believe resonant leadership to be sound, thorough, and complete as a concept.  It is the strongest style I have studied in MSLD to date, but it is not perfect.

~Pete

References:

Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant leadership: Renewing yourself and connecting with others through mindfulness, hope, and compassion. Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard Business School Publishing.

McKee, A., Boyatzis, R., & Johnston, F. (2008). Becoming a resonant leader. Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard Business School Publishing.

A641.1.3.RB_BorutyAlan_What is Great Leadership

What is Great Leadership?

In his video “What is Great Leadership”, Dr. Boyatzis asks the viewers to come up with the names of two leaders from our past, the best or most effective and the worst or least effective.  Boyatzis had us put the names in separate columns and list words that describe what it was like to be around these leaders.  When Boyatzis described the words that typically are in the good column and the bad column, many of mine matched and all of them applied.  I suspect everyone who has ever completed this exercise achieved the same results as I did.  The exercise was not important.  As Boyatzis stated, no one struggles to come up with the name of someone who inspired them.  Personally, I had no problem coming up with either name.

There were a few points that Boyatzis made that caught my attention.  First he stated that, “outstanding leaders know that the music of leadership is emotions and that people who are really good at leadership are able to help inspire and help us manage our emotions in the process” (Boyatzis, n.d.).  While I understand the importance of emotional intelligence in leaders, I had never heard it put quite that way.  I suppose it makes sense as many of the issues that leaders face are emotionally charged.  This is also why he teaches us that leadership is not a person or an action, it is a relationship.  Specifically, great leaders build and nurture relationships with the people around them. 

Another point that Boyatzis made is that once you understand that leadership is a relationship, the quality of the interaction between the leader and the people he interacts with becomes the real discriminator, not the person.  Does the leader’s interactions have a similar impact on most of the people?  Do the interactions inspire, motivate, respect, value, encourage, engage, and/or empower the people?  If so, the leader is resonant or in tune/in sync with the people around him (Boyatzis, n.d.).  By similar observation, it is not difficult to determine leaders who have not built relationships with the people around them.  They often intimidate, direct, threaten, and/or demean those with whom they interact.  Common sense will tell us which leader would be most effective.

So, what is great leadership?  It is the relationship between the leader and the people with whom he interacts.  More specifically the quality of those interactions and the effect they have not only on the individuals but the entire team.  Great leadership is resonant relationships that allow the leader to be in sync and attuned to their environment.  Great leadership inspires, engages, values, respects, and motivates each person at the individual level in a way that makes the team greater than the sum of its people.

Earlier I said the exercise Boyatzis had us do was not important.  While it was not important in the sense of coming up with a right or wrong answer, it did serve a purpose.  It showed that everyone knows what great leadership looks like.  Through experience and over time we have built an internal model based on our experiences with leaders who brought out the best in us.  Those leaders that that always seemed to be on the same wavelength with us.  Those leaders who took the time to get to know us and treated us with compassion.  Those leaders who made work a place you wanted to go to and a thing you enjoyed doing.  It sounds simple enough…just don’t be mean to your people.  But it is not that simple nor is it common.  I only encountered two leaders that met this criteria throughout my career.  While I considered myself a successful leader, I cannot say that I met this criteria.

~Pete

Reference:

Boyatzis, R. (n.d.). What is great leadership (Video). Retrieved from: https://erau.instructure.com/courses/73366/assignments/1211343. Accessed: 2018 January 13.