Yapping Dogs - Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

Far too often our approach to leadership is to follow every fad with a great deal of noise and excitement but very little focus and purpose. Like the yapping dog that barks at and chases after every car that comes up and down the street we follow every leadership fancy, every model, new theory or “paradigm shift” and add to the rich vocabulary of meaningless jargon.

So what is it that Emotional Intelligence can offer to the leadership challenge?

Many of today’s leaders, in businesses and organisations, are out of date and out of touch. Their style of leadership focuses on their personal contribution and on keeping control over others through a false and excluding preoccupation with what they mistakenly call results.

They miss the point entirely that in knowledge-based organisations the task of leaders is to release talent, foster a sense of collective responsibility, and encourage a values-based and largely self-regulated contribution from everyone. Emotionally intelligent leaders create and perpetuate a culture within their organisation where everyone is proud to contribute.

The daunting challenge facing leaders is to restore trust, with their own teams and with clients. For the past decade the whole nature of trust has broken down in business, politics and in our financial institutions. It has also broken down in many places of work where the psychological contract has been torn up. Businesses have lost their sense of direction, and work has become meaningless. People are fearful, their confidence in the world around them and their leaders is weakened, and their belief in the meaning and purpose of what they do is destroyed.

Trust is built or restored in the workplace through the emotionally intelligent way in which leaders are seen to behave. The values they express need now to be the values they live day in and day out. Forget the presentations, the road-shows and the rhetoric. No-one in their right mind is prepared to believe words alone.

Emotional Intelligence helps to define the behaviours leaders must show day in day out to demonstrate their values and create a culture of pride and collective responsibility throughout an organisation.

Leaders must recognize how their actions affect others. This self-awareness is not some narcissistic indulgence but is the means to understand the impact a leader’s behaviour has on others in the team and to use that effectively.

They need to stay calm in the midst of the chaos around them and to manage complexity. They will spend time trying to express what is happening, and listening to others as the whole organisation strives to find a new understanding and meaning.

Since all our signposts have been knocked to the ground leaders must be able to create new ones to give that new sense of direction.

Modern leaders will be positive and work to their strengths. Without being blind to the risks and out of touch with reality it is essential that they persist in their determined drive to achieve their goals.

They must behave in a way which shows concern for others, not as some sentimental and sloppy affectation, but as a true recognition that building Trust means showing genuine compassion and understanding. More than anything people need to feel respected, valued, trusted.

Leaders must show their own need for others by consulting and involving their teams and their clients. They will show humble recognition that success can only be achieved through the skills, commitment and contribution of everyone in their team.

They must keep a sense of perspective, avoiding the extremes of complacency and panic. They should articulate this perspective - make meaning to others of their collective experience.

They must know how to network effectively within their organisation and where to find the strengths and commitment of others. Through their behaviours they will show that passionate desire to meet everyone and make the connections across the organisation and outward to their clients and customers.

This is a lot to ask of anyone - but then leaders should not take on the task if they are not prepared to shoulder the responsibilities and to be accountable. It is a task requiring courage and humility, a strong sense of self and a respect for the gifts of others. This is where Emotional Intelligence can make an outstanding contribution and send the yapping dogs on their way.