Emotional Leadership According To Daniel Goleman

If  you want to inspire and guide your employees or team members to achieve success, you need to apply emotional leadership. Read all about it in this article!

Leadership is one of the most important skills people should possess when working with a team. They want to motivate others. Therefore must possess the ability to inspire and direct. After all, that is the key to achieving any goal. There are many ways to do this. However, emotional leadership is the most effective way.

Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee first used this term in their book  Primal Leadership.  In this book they talk about six styles of emotional leadership. Each style is useful in a specific situation. The good news, however, is that with enough effort and dedication you can develop all styles.

However, emotional leadership is not the only way to steer a team. In this article we explain what emotional leadership really is. We also discuss the main advantages and disadvantages in a more rational context.

What is Emotional Leadership?

The leadership styles described by Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee are different from what other authors describe. They have a huge impact on the emotions of the people who use them.

Each style influences the way a team feels and behaves. Depending on the results the team wants to achieve, one style will therefore be more effective than another.

One of the key concepts in the book  Primal Leadership  is that the best choice of emotional leadership style does not exist. Each style has multiple advantages and also possesses different characteristics that may not suit all situations.

So the leader needs to know these characteristics so that he can choose which style to adopt. He must also be able to master them all. This is necessary to choose the best style for every situation.

Here are the six styles:

• Authoritative
• Coaching
• Related
• Democratic
• Imperative
• Stimulating

So each style has very different characteristics. Yet they are all based on understanding other people’s emotions. That is exactly where the term “emotional leadership” comes from.

However, is it always good to use one of these six styles to lead a group? The answer depends on the circumstances you face as a leader.

The pros and cons of emotional leadership

Like any other skill or approach, this form of leadership has both a negative and a positive side. Let’s take a look at the most important ones. They will help us decide whether it is wise to resort to emotions or whether it is better to use a more logical and less empathetic approach in a given situation.

The advantages

You can’t deny that leading a group with emotional intelligence has many benefits. Leading in this way will, for example, help to strike a balance between meeting the company’s goals and creating strong working relationships.

This may involve sacrificing effectiveness to some degree. However, the well-being and happiness of the employees will definitely increase.

On the other hand, a good leader will be able to enhance the good qualities of the team. Using these leadership styles will help others develop their talents. They will also continue to develop professionally. In addition, it will ensure that your employees are more motivated. This is essential for any business.

The cons

The application of emotional leadership may not be the best choice in all situations. Sometimes it can even have negative consequences. We give some examples:

• It can cause the leader to act impulsively: This can hinder the company’s progress. Managing a company generally requires a more rational approach.
• It can create self-control issues: In some cases, a leader has to make tough decisions that can be emotionally difficult. If a leader is too empathetic, it can impact the company’s overall project.

• It delays or affects the results: A leader must focus solely on the company’s objectives. However, someone who worries too much about the emotions of others will have a very hard time with this.
• It can cause emotional swings: Finally, excessive empathy and connection to one’s own emotions can influence mood too much. In general, a leader should be an example of strength and stability.

Usually, applying one of the six styles of emotional leadership will benefit the company or a team. However, sometimes it is necessary to evaluate whether this is in the best interests of the employees and the objectives of the company. Like most things in life, the answer is not that simple.