Why Emotional Intelligence?

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND EI

Leadership is about leaders who achieve extraordinary things within organisations, and who create a culture where their team members follow them with passion and enthusiasm, to improve performance and productivity. This is the challenge of leadership development that needs to be achieved.

BIG BRANDS BELIEVE IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Hallmark Communities sales staff that developed emotional intelligence were 25% more productive than their low EI counterparts, and EI was more important to executive job performance than character, strategic thinking, and focus on results. Talentsmart’s EQ LearningTM program raised
individual and team EI for the low and high EI groups to improve group cohesion and job performance (Bradberry, 2002)

Multinational Consulting Firm measured the EI of senior partners on emotional intelligence competencies. Partners high in EI were responsible for $1.2 million more profit each in their clients than low EI partners. High EI partners showed a 139% gain in profit (Boyatzis, 1999).

AT&T participated in a large, cross-industry study that found in all levels of management (from line supervisors to senior executives) increased emotional intelligence, measured through the Emotional Intelligence AppraisalTM, accounted for
20% more productivity than low EI leaders. Ninety-one percent of top performers were high in EI, while only 26% of low performers were high in EI. Emotional intelligence explained nearly 60% of job performance across companies in the study.
(Bradberry, 2002).

An International Soft Drink Corporation saw division leaders who developed EI competencies outperform their targets by more than 15%. Division leaders who didn’t develop their EI missed targets by the same margin (McClelland, 1999).

Top Performers in positions of medium complexity, such as sales clerks and mechanics, are 12 times more productive than weak performers, and 127% more productive than average performers. EI accounts for more than 60% of the job performance for these positions (Hunter, Schmidt, & Judiesch, 1990; Goleman,1998).

US Air Force reduced recruiter turnover from 35% annually to 5% annually by selecting candidates high in emotional intelligence. Total cost savings of $3 million per year on a $10,000 investment (Bar-On, 2001).

Across Cultures executives selected for emotional intelligence are more likely to succeed than those chosen for IQ or job experience. In Latin America, Germany and Japan, 74% of top performers were high in EI while only 24% of low performers were high in EI (Cherniss, 2003).

L’Oreal realized a $91,370 increase per head for salespeople selected for EI skills. The group also had 63% less turnover than sales staff not part of the EI program (Cherniss, 2003).

“In the fields I have studied, emotional intelligence is much more powerful than IQ in determining who emerges as a leader. IQ is a threshold competence. You need it, but it does not make you a star. Emotional intelligence can.”

Warren Bennis, leadership pioneer and internationally renowned author and researcher

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ROI

A study conducted with more than 2 million employees throughout seven hundred companies proved that the length of time an employee stays at a company is determined by his relationship with his immediate superior. (Zipkin, 2000)

43% of employees who leave companies do not do so because of bad salaries, but bad managers. (Goleman, 1998)

Divisional heads with emotional intelligence competencies outperformed their targets by 15-20%, whilst those who lacked these skills under-performed by almost 20%. (McClelland, 1998)

An analysis of top-level executives from 15 global companies showed that 6 emotional intelligence competencies distinguished the stars from the average employees: Development of people; Influence; Adaptability; Self-confidence; Achievement drive; and Leadership ability. One cognitive competency that was as strong in distinguishing the stars from the average employees was Analytical Thinking. (Spencer, 1997)

When supervisors in a manufacturing plant were empowered with emotional intelligence competencies, it was found that lost-time accidents were reduced by 50%, formal grievances were reduced, and the plant exceeded productivity goals by $250 000 (Pesaric &Byham, 1996).

Effective leaders were identified as those who reported transformational rather than transactional behaviours. Emotional intelligence correlated highly with all components of transformational leadership. (Gardner & Stough, 2002)

In a national insurance company (USA), insurance sales agents who were lacking in emotional intelligence competencies such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies worth an average of $54 000. Those who were strong in at least 5 to 8 emotional intelligence competencies sold policies worth $114 000. (Hay/McBer, 1997)

85% of the competencies attributed to successful leaders lie in the emotional intelligence domain. (Goleman, 1998).

Research clearly shows that Emotional Intelligence is an overwhelmingly more important and critical factor determining employee success than IQ.