At a recent conference, a healthcare leader proposed that one of the most important abilities that healthcare leaders need to deal with the current changes in their organizations and environments is emotional intelligence. Experts in various fields agree that emotional quotient (EQ) is more important than Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in determining leaders’ success.
Emotional intelligence is understanding yourself and managing yourself and understanding others and managing your relationship with them. Where did this concept come from and how can healthcare leaders use it to change their behaviors and maximize their potential?
The concept of emotional intelligence can be credited to Peter Salovey from Yale University and John Mayer from the University of New Hampshire. In 1990, Salovey and Mayer published an article in the journal Imagination, Cognition and Personality entitled “Emotional Intelligence.” In the article, they defined EQ as “the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s own thinking and actions” (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). At the time, the article didn’t get much attention beyond the academic circles. But soon after, New York Times science reporter Daniel Goleman came across it and became fascinated by the notion of emotional intelligence. He decided to dedicate the next few years trying to understand how the brain regulates emotions by looking at the latest scientific evidence and reviewing the theories.
Soon after, Goleman published the ground-breaking book Emotional Intelligence in which he argued that individuals who are able to monitor their feelings have a better self-understanding, are better aware of their emotions, and can make better decisions at work and in life. He called this quality “self-awareness.” He also maintained that emotionally intelligent individuals are especially attuned to emotions in others, i.e. are more empathetic.
How do Executive Coaches help leaders better understand and improve their EQ? Coaches start by measuring executives’ emotional intelligence using several tools such as the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) assessment. In this assessment, emotional intelligence is comprised of five main scales: self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal relations, decision-making and stress management. Average scores for working professionals on these subscales typically range between 90-110, with 100 being the median. An extremely low score indicates a lack of a specific dimension, which needs to be “dialed-up”, while an extremely high score indicates that the individual overuses an ability that needs to be “dialed-down.”
Let me explain with an example. Last year I worked with a promising healthcare executive- let’s call her Lauren. Lauren was extremely intelligent and capable, but was viewed by her superiors and peers as a bit arrogant and insensitive to others’ feelings. Lauren’s EQi 2.0 results showed high scores on self-regard (115) and assertiveness (120), and low scores on interpersonal relations (85) and empathy (88). Lauren was somehow surprised by the feedback from others and by her own scores, but she vowed to change her ways. Together, we created a customized action plan for her including specific behavioral changes and developmental goals.
For example, to address unhealthy high scores on self-regard, I encouraged Lauren to record her reaction to any mistakes that she makes over the following few weeks. When she found herself often blaming others for mistakes, she realized that she needed to start openly admitting her weaknesses. She decided to use mistakes as opportunities to accept her shortcomings and put in place strategies to manage them, rather than pretending they don’t exist.
To deal with low scores on empathy, I asked Lauren to prepare, prior to her next staff meeting, a list of all attendees and what needs and expectations each brings to the meeting. I advised her to try and predict how they will act during the meeting and what issues she needs to be sensitive towards. I also encouraged her to generate a number of questions to further understand her colleagues’ needs during the meeting.
In order to better relate with her colleagues on a personal level, she decided to take the time to connect with them on topics outside of work, such as their families, children, pets, etc. When the next situation that called for empathy presented itself, Lauren drew upon this background information to show her sensitivity. One day, she went to one of her subordinates’ office and said to her: “You must be really feeling stressed with taking care of your mom and I know your husband is travelling for work. How can I help?”
With this action plan is in place, Lauren felt empowered to change her behaviors and evaluate her progress towards becoming more humble and understanding.
Putting it all together
At the leadership level, intelligence and competence are a given. But in a rapidly changing environment, emotional intelligence can allow healthcare leaders to collaborate more effectively, become more empathetic with others, communicate to produce desired results, and work on reaching win-win situations. It is the main determinant of success.
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Dr. Amer Kaissi is a Professional Speaker, Executive Coach and an expert on Leadership, Humility & Ambition, Assuming Positive Intent, Psychological Safety & Accountability, Growth Mindsets & Resilience.
