Robert Kerr et al (2006: 268) look at leadership as “a process of social interaction in which the leaders’ ability to influence the behaviour of their followers can strongly influence performance outcomes”. Leadership is about the leader marketing ideas and a vision of the future. It involves a person seeking opportunities, initiating projects, manipulating resources and setting out goals for all members of the group to accomplish.
An important aspect of a leader is the ability to achieve results by working with other people and by looking at situations through the eyes of the led. This is a humane approach to leadership because you are concerned with feelings and attitudes of others rather than being motivated just for personal reasons. The most difficult problems you face as a leader in an organization are those that will involve your employees.
EFFICIENT LEADERSHIP
Emotional Intelligence
Trustworthi- ness
Cognitive Skills
Assertiveness ,
Self Awareness and
Self – Objectivity Sense of
Humour Passion and
Enthusiasm
Self–
Confidence
Emotional Stability
20 This study seeks to explore the critical role of emotional intelligence in organisational leadership that impacts on the performance of the enterprise. It is important to have a leadership that will be able intelligently to understand emotions of its managers and those of its employees and customers. This good understanding of the various parties has a positive effect on inter - relationship which has a bearing on the performance of the enterprise.
Peters (2003:25) in his discussion quotes the work of T. Meyer in his 1996 work in which he identifies five major competencies that an effective organisational leader must possess.
One such competency is that a leader requires emotional competence which will enable the person to manage relationships with individuals and work groups. These relationships may involve people of diverse behavior patterns, values, religion and cultural orientation.
This competency is so important because there is a link between this and other competences.
The second competency a leader needs to have is the cognitive or the intellectual ability that will enable the leader to so solve complex problems that characterize modern day life. A leader should be able to carry out analysis, synthesis and to perform critical and systematic thinking in the leadership role.
Thirdly, the leader should also have applied competencies in his performance of the leadership duties. This involves applying a range of abilities in using scientific and mathematical concepts and in the use of available technology.
Fourthly, unless the leader is a performer, this leadership will be under threat. There must be performance – related competencies that will enable the leader to be effective in time management and in meeting the demands of the various tasks the person is expected to perform.
Lastly, the leader should have integrative competencies because a leader has various roles to play with various people around him or her. The leader needs to have the ability to balance occupational, family and social demands.
21 While considering the above competences in understanding issues that surround what enables a leader and manager to be effective and efficient, situational factors should be also taken into account. Kreitner (2004:508) quotes Fred Fiedler’s contingency theory of leadership, which in his view is by far the most thoroughly tested theory, and shows that the performance of a leader in influencing subordinates to perform positively is dependent on two factors. These are the degree to which the situation allows the leader control and influence and secondly, the leader’s basic motivation, that is, whether the leader’s drive to perform the work is influenced by accomplishing that work or is this due to the supportive relationship with others. This theory is firmly rooted in the emotional orientation of both the leader and other people who should render support, and is necessary to increase performance at work. John Maxwell (1999:21) supports this view by stating a wise saying of psychologist William James referring to himself, who said that,“the greatest discovery of his generation was that human beings could alter their lives by altering the attitude of their minds.”This adjustment in attitude and/or emotions will help both the leader and the followers to concentrate on the improvement of the enterprise by understanding their emotions and how they affect and motivate others.
We see in organizations managers who are not sensitive to the feelings of other people around them and would want to bulldoze their subordinates. They think that by threatening their subordinates, it will make them achieve desired objectives. They do not understand that negative emotions including chronic anger and anxiety can disrupt work by hijacking attention from the job that workers are undertaking(Goleman 2002:16). If workers are muzzled they start grieving and complaining when their manager is not in sight. These actions by both parties are emotionally unintelligent.
Hill and Jones (2007:32) identify strategic leadership as being a very important component of effective and efficient management. This key strategic role provides and articulates the vision for the company and motivates the rank and file in the organization.
They identify six key characteristics of strategic leadership. The following characteristics are suggested by Hill and Jones (p 32),
22
“ The vision, eloquence and consistency, then commitment, being well informed, willingness to delegate and empower others, astute use of power and emotional intelligence”.
When leadership in the management of an organization possesses these key characteristics, it is most likely to lead to effective and efficient performance of such an organisation. Of all these characteristics, emotional intelligence is the most critical to both influencing productivity and motivating subordinates in the work place as it has a strong influence on the other five characteristics of strategic leadership.
The reviews above all agree that leadership is a necessary prerequisite in achieving appropriate performance in the organization. It is certain that for any performance to be produced as required, it must not only be effective but efficient too. The leadership through its workforce must increase capacity to meet the organisations’ goals while reducing associated costs. There must be good social interaction between those in charge of tasks and the various subordinates who must execute these tasks. This is where the question of influence and tact by leaders and managers comes in.
The foregoing discussion from the various literature sources above, has provided a number of suggestions as to the qualities of leadership that are needed to provide effective organizational leadership. Three suggested concepts stand out, namely, the Meyer leadership competence concept (Peters: 203:25), the Leadership Traits Concept (Campbell: 1997: Chapter 4:2) and the Leadership Characteristics concept by Hill and Jones (2007:32). The latter concept can be integrated with Mayer’s competence concept.
The proposal of Rex Campbell of the Leadership Traits concept is also compatible with the emotional competences concept. The remaining competences are all cognitive competences. The approaches put forward can be classified into two categories - the emotional competences and cognitive competences. A leader or manager needs both emotional competences and cognitive competences to be effective in his discharging his or her functions. Cognitive competences, on their own will cause the leader to be less effective in social relations, when there is turmoil or a social crisis (Goleman 1995:36
23
&40). On the other hand, emotional intelligence recognises the fact that work is normally done in teams and interpersonal skills are important, giving an advantage to those who have developed it in their lives. Therefore, it is emotional intelligence that matters more than cognitive intelligence or IQ in the work situation. Since emotional intelligence is likely to play a more important role in the work situation, it is also likely to contribute more to achieving the organizational objectives (Cherniss 2008:6; Goleman: 2002:17) as people at work develop good feelings and attitudes towards each other and the work. We shall consider the critical role of emotional intelligence in leadership which in turn affects organizational performance. Emotional intelligence is the missing link in the requirements in most of the issues in management thought to ensure motivation of subordinates and productivity in the workplaces.