The Emotionally Intelligent Director

Emotions drive people – people drive performance

“In the fields I have studied, emotional intelligence is much more powerful than IQ in determining who emerges as a leader. IQ is a

threshold competence. You need it, but it doesn't make you a star. Emotional Intelligence can.”

Warren Bennis leadership pioneer, author and researcher.

What exactly is EQ?

Emotions - the feelings, reactions a person often has, in response to a real or imagined relationship.

Intelligence - the ability to reason with, or about, something.

Emotional Intelligence - a scientifically validated function of the human brain to process and utilize emotional information.

Being smart with feelings

Howard Gardiner’s - Multiple Intelligences

Mathematical Intelligence helps us solve mathematical problemsEmotional Intelligence helps us solve people challenges

Neurobiology - emotions as data

Emotional intelligence :Not an abstract notion – grounded in neurobiology. Emotions are:• Neural hormones• Long chains of amino acids – hippocampus, pituitary, blood• Brain but also heart, gut, spine• Into the blood stream via capillaries and carry ‘keys’• Feedback loops• Feedback in the body and between bodies

Amygdala Hijack

‘E-motions’ - energy in motion

Key emotions

1. Anger 4. Fear 2. Disgust 5. Sadness 3. Surprise 6. Happiness

Characterised by –

• High intensity• Short duration • Highly conscious of content• Situation specific

Darwinian - adaptive

• Fear motivates protection.• Anger motivates attack.• Joy motivates connection.• Disgust motivates rejection.• Trust motivates stepping forward.• Sorrow motivates withdrawing.• Surprise motivates stopping to assess.• Anticipation motivates looking forward.

There are myriad combinations of these expressed in thousands of words for feelings.

Various Models – MSCEIT

MSCEIT/EQ – “The capacity to reason with emotions and emotional signals

and to the capacity of emotion to enhance thought”

Mayor, Salovey and Caruso suggest - • Emotions contain valuable information and are sophisticated• People think with emotions and about emotions • There is a skill and knowledge involved in emotion• People differ in these skills• These differences appear to have some impact

MSCEIT – Assessment Task

The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) is an ability-based test designed to measure the four branches of the EI model of Mayer and Salovey.

R U U M • Recognising • Understanding• Using• Managing

MSCEIT – Recognising Emotions

• The ability to perceive emotions in oneself and others • The ability to perceive emotions in objects, art, stories, music,

and other stimuli.• Ability to express emotions accurately

MSCEIT – Using EmotionsThe ability to generate, use, and feel emotion as necessary to communicate feelings or employ them in other cognitive processes

• Generate emotions to solve problems• Emotions prioritise thinking• Emotions direct a person’s attention• Moods impact on reasoning

MSCEIT – Understanding EmotionsThe ability to generate, use, and feel emotion as necessary to communicate feelings or employ them in other cognitive processes

• Labelling emotions• Understanding emotions and emotional relationships of

various intensity and similarity• Understanding complex feelings• Understanding transitions between emotions

MSCEIT – Managing EmotionsThe ability to understand emotional information, to understand how emotions combine and progress through relationship transitions, and to appreciate such emotional meanings.• Effective regulation of emotions• Open to feeling• Engaging and detaching at appropriate times• Appropriate mood• Not exaggerating or minimising emotions • Regulate moods – process• Manage emotions in oneself and others

Goleman et al – EQ Broad Brush

Emotional literacy is the capacity to –

• accurately access, name, and understand feelings. • interpret core drivers of behaviour. • managing reactive behaviour• drive decision making

1. Self Awareness

Competencies -• Read how you feel and how your emotions/actions have

consequences• Know your strengths and weaknesses • HumbleImprovement strategies -• Keep a journal • Slow down – and choose how you react to it. • Be open to feedback• Meditation

2. Self Regulation – at cause not effect

Competencies -• Rarely: verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional

decisions, stereotype people, compromise personal values, • Usually: flexible and committed to personal accountability

Improvement Strategies -• Know your values, review your code of ethics • Be accountable – admit mistakes and face the consequences• Practice calm – be aware of how you act under pressure• Practice meditation, breathing, • Write down all of the negative things you want to say + and -

3. Self Motivation

“The level of your energy is directly proportional to the clarity of your purpose”

Competency:• Goal oriented and very high standards

Improvement strategy: • Review goals• Check they resonate with your values• Work on self efficacy

4. Social SkillsCompetencies -• Communicate• Manage change• Resolve conflicts diplomatically• Management by walking• Consequential thinking

Improvement Strategies -• Open to feedback and open to adult education• Manage stress

If you can’t manage your emotions you can’t manage the markets’

“A leader's intelligence has to have a strong emotional component. They has to have high levels of self-awareness, maturity and self-control. They must be able to withstand the heat, handle setbacks and when those lucky moments arise, enjoy success with equal parts of joy and humility. No doubt emotional intelligence is more rare than book smarts, but my experience says it is actually more important in the making of a leader. You just can't ignore it.”

Jack WelchChairman of General Electric (Wall Street Journal)

Business case “Leaders are learning that emotional intelligence isn’t just a new label for sales techniques or a repackaging of feel-good aphorism — they’re coming to recognize emotional intelligence as a core skill-set, grounded in science, that underlies performance, and they’re committing to bring these assets on board.”

AICD: Top tips for Non-Executive Directors - Number One - Understand Yourself (WA Dir. Issue 45)

Board Accord “Aligning aspiration and outcome for profit, people and

planet”

Robert Gordon BEd M Coun GAICDDirector of Programs

0405 541 510robert@boardaccord.com.au

www.boardaccord.com.au