1.2 Emotional Intelligence
Overview
The position of either leader or follower does not hold power. Rather, it is how we respond when we are in these roles, based on our emotional intelligence, that gives power to each role. Emotional intelligence has been described as the “ability to monitor and discriminate among emotions and to the use the data to guide thought and action” (Goleman, 2020).
Goleman (2020), a researcher who has completed work spanning decades in the area of work performance, studied the importance of emotional intelligence in achieving personal excellence. He defines emotional intelligence in greater depth, stating that it is composed of abilities such as being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations; to control impulse and delay gratification; to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; to empathize and to hope (Goleman, 2020). Goleman’s model of emotional intelligence contains five skills that comprise personal and social competencies (see Table 1.2 below). The three skills of self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation relate to the individual’s personal competence. The remaining skills of empathy and social skills are classified as social competencies (Liu & Boyatzis, 2021).
Competency | Skill Area | Description |
Personal | Self-awareness | Knowing one’s self |
Self-regulation | Managing one’s self | |
Motivation | Sentiments and passions that facilitate the attainment of goals | |
Social | Empathy | Understanding of others and compassion toward them |
Social skills | Expertise in inspiring others to be in agreement |
Developing Emotional and Social Intelligence
As a nurse, gaining emotional and social intelligence is critical to expanding leadership capacity. Emotional Intelligence contributes to achievement of effective management in healthcare (Prezerakos, 2018). You encounter many different types of people, both colleagues and patients. It is extremely important to be self-aware, reflect on your feelings, and think about how emotions can influence both actions and relationships (or social interactions). That is, you must learn to reflect on your clinical experiences and think of how you could have changed a situation by using self-awareness or mindsight. It is essential for nurses to improve social and emotional skills (Prezerakos, 2018). See Applied Learning Activity 1.2 to complete an assessment of your Emotional Intelligence.
Applied Learning Activity 1.2 Emotional Intelligence
- Click here to complete the Emotional Intelligence self-assessment test.
- Complete this online survey: the online system calculates the results for you.
- Review your EI score.
- Reflect on your findings.