Emotional intelligence and effective leadership : considerations of managers in the Maltese business society

Abstract

For Organisations to be successful and gain competitive advantage in today’s business environment, having Emotionally Intelligent Managers who lead effectively is a must. The managers’ competencies and skills, directly influence the work climate and team cohesion as emotions are contagious thus these influence the organisation’s achievements. Emotionally Intelligent Managers inspire the employees who are in contact with them to lead. This study presents considerations of managers in the Maltese business society; by investigating if managers consider Emotional Intelligence as inspirational for effective leadership, also in the light of their own past work experiences. Literature describing what emotional intelligence is, and models of emotional intelligence with special emphasis on Daniel Goleman’s model, are presented in the Literature Review. From the companies listed on the Malta Stock Exchange, five companies accepted to participate in this heterogeneous study and sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted. The number of interviewees is relevant, though a broader picture of the Maltese business society would have been represented if more companies had participated. The findings clearly highlight six themes; it is evident that managers consider emotional intelligence as important for their work, since this enables them to be more effective leaders. Evidently, the manager who brought out the best in them was emotionally intelligent and, this manager inspired them to be their best. It was emphasised that the manager’s approach to situations, directly influences the employee’s approach. Self-awareness and self-management were recognised as important, together with appropriate body language. Social awareness and Relationship Management were also pointed out. The importance of resonance and self-renewal, which enable a leader to lead effectively, was clearly shown. Significant emphasis was made on the contagiousness of emotions. Additionally, the manager’s prompt intervention in underachieving instances was mentioned, to send a message to the surrounding team. Emotionally Intelligent leaders are effective; they have a positive influence on their employees and they inspire leadership. EI workplaces enable organisations to be successful.