Emotional intelligence is always thought of as a good thing. We lament a lack of it and praise an abundance. Of course, everyone has it to some degree, but with leaders, it’s often seen as a prerequisite - the fairy dust a charismatic leader deploys to get things done with a swish, a sprinkle and a smile.
As a concept, EQ is still relatively new, especially compared with IQ, having been around for only some 30 years. The term was coined by psychologists Peter Salovey and John D Mayer in 1990, who described it as “a form of social intelligence that involves 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 thinking and action”.
It was then popularised by science writer Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence: why it can matter more than IQ. And in a subsequent book, Goleman underlined its importance even further, citing research from Harvard Business School suggesting that EQ counts for twice as much as IQ and technical skills combined in determining who will be successful in life.
But emotional intelligence also has a dark side, one that is talked about less often but is equally potent. Like a superhero’s superpower, EQ is something that can be unleashed for both good and evil.
Jochen Menges, assistant professor of organisational behaviour in the Cambridge Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, has looked at the dark tactics of EQ while exploring how leaders exert influence. Those with high levels of emotional intelligence are brilliant at managing others’ emotions to ensure they achieve their goals, but sometimes they do so with evil intent. It is “like a weapon”, says Menges.
A good leader will use emotional intelligence to win over others to achieve success and harmony, but a bad one will use it to manipulate and make people’s lives a misery. Almost everyone can remember a leader who did the latter, often with aplomb - the charming sociopath who was super effective and always got their own way but left a trail of human devastation in their wake.
It’s not all bad news, however. There is a way to tell the good eggs from the bad apples. It’s by looking carefully at what they believe in, their guiding principles. “If we wish to know how someone uses their emotional intelligence, we need to measure the values they endorse,” Menges says.
These values are at the heart of ethical leadership, which is so vital in schools. Shared belief is what anchors a leader in their school and their community and makes others follow them. An ethical leader constantly asks themselves and others: are the right things being done for the right reasons? Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, once articulated this eloquently: “We have to be able to look ourselves in the eye and think: did we do what was right there?”
We all have choices and some must be made with a heavy heart. Being a leader is tough: the responsibility is great but the rewards can be greater still. Stay true to your beliefs and the principles you cherish. Use your superpowers for good, to do the best by those you serve.
As Superman once said, “It’s not about where you were born or the powers you have or what you wear on your chest; it’s about what you do.”
Every leader will be judged not only by their thoughts but by their actions. And in these difficult and often despairing times, it is more important than ever to be ethically true to yourself, hold your values close and do the right thing for your community.
@AnnMroz
This article originally appeared in the 26 July 2019 issue
