Trait Leadership Theory And The Significance Of Emotional Intelligence In Contemporary Leadership

Trait Leadership Theory

Discuss about the Habitual and Addictive Smartphone Behavior.

Leadership can be regarded as a process whereby, an individual possess the ability to influence others towards accomplishing and further attaining organizational goals and success. The concept of trait leadership relies on the characteristics of several leaders both who successful and unsuccessful and is further employed in order to make assumptions of leadership value and effectiveness (Northouse 2017; pp2-6).  Several scholars have implemented the trait approach in order to recognize the physiological, demographic as well as social characteristics with the presence of leader emergence and the competence of the leader. This paper will intend to focus on trait leadership and its theory. In addition to it, the paper will also evaluate the reasons why basic intelligence is unable to suffice the leadership qualities of contemporary leaders and the significance of emotional intelligence in contemporary leadership technique.

The trait theory of leadership primarily concentrates on the identification of varied personality traits as well as characteristics, which are associated to successful leadership practices catering varied situations (Meuser et al.; pp-1374-1403). It must be noted that one of the earliest form of analysis into the nature of successful leadership has been initially proposed by Thomas Carlyle. According to him, some of the influence of trait leadership theory involves specific traits that give rise to certain behavioural patterns, which maintain its consistency across varied situations (McCleskey 2014; pp.76-93).

Early trait leadership theorists believed that great leaders must possess basic intelligence and certain job centric knowledge. In the early 20^th Century, certain leadership traits were investigated in order to determine what resulted certain individual to become great leaders (Yin et al.; pp.137-145). However, aspects of basic intelligence and achieving required technical skills and expertise are not adequate to attain contemporary leadership techniques. In order to evaluate human factors at any  leadership scenario, the influence of emotions on the individuals have provided immense contribution to the potential consequences. The notion of emotional intelligence is referred as the skill to identify one’s own feeling, expressions and also of others in order to enhance motivation in oneself as well as in others(Joseph et al. 2015;p-298). Leaders in contemporary situation are expected to accomplish effective organizational consequences namely effectiveness, self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, performance and contentment. Emotional intelligence (EI) is broadly regarded as a chief component of effective and successful leadership. It has been proposed by some theorists that there is immense potentiality of emotional intelligence to contribute to the success and achievement of leadership techniques in various ways (Northouse 2017; pp2-6). The concept of emotional intelligence provides contribution to leadership techniques by concentrating on five essential factors of leaders’ efficiency (Romager, Hughes and Trimble 2017; pp-33-42). These elements are the growth and development of shared objectives, establishing the realization of the significance of work activities in the followers, reinforcing motivation, and self-regulation and maintaining enthusiasm, acknowledging flexibility in the process of decision-making and transformation, and further establishing meaningful recognition for the organization (Van et al.2015; pp-411-420) . EI has the competence to read and comprehend others in the social circumstances, in order to distinguish the factors of nuances related to emotional responses and to utilize such skills and competencies to achieve valuable leadership as well as team coordination and performance.

Limitations of Basic Intelligence and Importance of Emotional Intelligence

In contemporary times, several scholars have shifted their attention from unfolding and evaluating the aspects of social intelligence for comprehending the aim of interpersonal attitude along with the character it adapts in effective compliance. This kind of intelligence absorbs the ability to observe precisely and further express emotions and desires. In addition to this type of trait absorbs the capability to comprehend emotion as well as emotional ideas and knowledge and further regulates these sentiments to enhance the emotional as well as intellectual development (Serrat 2017;pp. 329-339). Several observations have successfully demonstrated those leaders or the ones with excellent leadership techniques who persistently succeed their peers or rivals not only possess immense technical skills but also are more focused on the aspects related to emotional intelligence.  According to Goleman, there are five elements of Emotional Intelligence at any organization in the Harvard Business Review article, namely, motivation, self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation or management, empathy and relationship management or social skills ( Eisner 2016; p-185). However, these components in amalgamation play a vital role in determining the effectiveness and success both in the personal life of an individual and also in his followers or at the workplace in particular.

These special elements with the behavioural patterns have an implicit association with the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of leadership. Self-awareness helps an individual to be aware of his or her own emotions and activities that can further be influential to the others. Being aware of one’s own, self in a leadership position further facilitates to establish a clear perception of one’s own strengths and weaknesses. People in the leadership position often regulate themselves in rare occasions have the tendency to attack others or suppress their values and emotions. This type of ability of self-regulation intends to envelop the committed and flexible nature of the leaders to individualistic accountability. However, it must be taken into account, that self motivated leaders consistently work towards achieving goals and objectives and have increased the standards of the quality of their work (Van et al.2015; pp-411-420). The concept of self-motivation determines the way leaders show their optimistic nature in any critical situation. Leaders having empathic nature have difficulties to manage an effective team or organization. It must be noted that leaders with empathic emotions possess the ability to position themselves in other’s circumstances (Castillo et al. 2013; pp-883-892) . However, they facilitate in increasing the growth of their team and further challenge others who are performing unjustly give productive and relative feedback and further pay attention to the ones in need. The leaders with emotional attribute of maintaining social skills and expertise perform well in this factor of emotional intelligence can be regarded as great communicators. These types of leaders possess the ability to acknowledge negative information in the form of good news. They are considered to have improved social expertise and are further possess ability of managing transformation and resolving organizational conflicts in a diplomatic manner.  

Emotional intelligence can be regarded as an effective response to the increasing issues and concerns leaders experience in the contemporary world. With the escalating budget issues, cost and the enduring demand in order to offer an enhanced production and have a further necessitate in order to develop an increased level for leadership techniques (Serrat 2017;pp. 329-339). However, a proper resolution for all these growing demands and issues can be found within a leader who acquire effective technical expertise along with other social as well as emotional competencies. Such abilities would facilitate leaders in accomplishing and acquiring the challenges and risks and further maximise the abilities and potentialities of an organization whilst attaining one’s own personal agenda and purposes (Van et al.2015; pp-411-420). In order to climb the crucial contemporary organizational ladder, leaders must possess sufficient competence within the chosen domain and further acquire a unique sense of emotional intelligence to achieve organizational goals and success.

Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that emotional intelligence has immense significance on the effectiveness of leadership techniques and further to achieve organizational growth and effectiveness. This essay has focused on the trait leadership and its theory, by identifying the need of emotional intelligence apart from basic intelligence and job related expertise and knowledge. The exceptional leadership technique of Howard Schultz, the Executive Chairman of Starbucks, can be sited as an instance, has blended an effective emotional intelligence in his leadership techniques ( Eisner 2016; p-185). Schultz has associated the idea of emotional intelligence with his commitment towards establishing relationships with his employees and further comprehending their needs and desires. He had a strong believe that enhancing increased level of motivation amongst the employees regarding their effective association with Starbucks. He further believes that organizational effectiveness only comes by instilling confidence and motivation in others.

References

Castillo, R., Salguero, J.M., Fernández-Berrocal, P. and Balluerka, N., 2013. Effects of an emotional intelligence intervention on aggression and empathy among adolescents. Journal of adolescence, 36(5), pp.883-892.

Eisner, S., 2016. The” In-Factor”: Signature Traits Of Innovation’s Leaders. Journal of Applied Business Research, 32(1), p.185.

Joseph, D.L., Jin, J., Newman, D.A. and O’boyle, E.H., 2015. Why does self-reported emotional intelligence predict job performance? A meta-analytic investigation of mixed EI. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(2), p.298.

McCleskey, J., 2014. Emotional intelligence and leadership: A review of the progress, controversy, and criticism. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 22(1), pp.76-93.

Meuser, J.D., Gardner, W.L., Dinh, J.E., Hu, J., Liden, R.C. and Lord, R.G., 2016. A network analysis of leadership theory: The infancy of integration. Journal of Management, 42(5), pp.1374-1403.

Northouse, P.G., 2017. Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. Sage Publications. pp2-6

Romager, J.A., Hughes, K. and Trimble, J.E., 2017. Personality traits as predictors of leadership style preferences: Investi-gating the relationship between social dominance orientation and attitudes towards authentic leaders. Soc Be-hav Res Pract Open J, 2(2), pp.33-42.

Serrat, O., 2017. Understanding and developing emotional intelligence. In Knowledge Solutions (pp. 329-339). Springer, Singapore.

Van Deursen, A.J., Bolle, C.L., Hegner, S.M. and Kommers, P.A., 2015. Modeling habitual and addictive smartphone behavior: The role of smartphone usage types, emotional intelligence, social stress, self-regulation, age, and gender. Computers in human behavior, 45, pp.411-420.

Yin, H.B., Lee, J.C.K. and Zhang, Z.H., 2013. Exploring the relationship among teachers’ emotional intelligence, emotional labor strategies and teaching satisfaction. Teaching and Teacher Education, 35, pp.137-145.