Army Leadership Defined - Department of Defence

1 Emotional intelligence is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings Lieutenant Colonel and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions Gerald F. Sewell, well in ourselves and our relationships. army , Retired Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, 1995. Broadly speaking, emotional intelligence addresses the emotional, per- sonal, social and survival dimensions of intelligence, which are often more important for daily functioning than the more traditional cognitive aspects of intelligence. Emotional intelligence is concerned with understanding oneself and others, relating to people, and adapting to and coping with the immediate surroundings to be more successful in dealing with environmental demands. Reuven BarOn, in the BarOn EQ-I Technical Manual, 2004. I S THERE A ROLE for emotional intelligence in United States army Leadership ? Is military Leadership incompatible with the concept of emotional intelligence?

2 Is emotional intelligence too soft? Are army lead- ers too hard? Is Leadership in the army too mechanical, developed as it is by instruction in Leadership styles and management processes and studying the techniques of great military leaders? Is there a need for military leaders to have emotional intelligence? The answer to the last of these questions is a resounding yes! The most valuable element in building and maintaining successful relationships, individual or team, is emotional intelligence. Gerald F. Sewell is an assistant profes- sor of military Leadership at the Com- army Leadership Defined mand and General Staff College, Fort army Leadership is more than Xs and Os, or emotionless structured Leavenworth, KS. He works in the De- partment of Command and Leadership leader development programs, or Leadership study and analysis, or coer- and is involved in the effort to integrate cive motivation. According to the army 's Leadership doctrinal manual, self-awareness into the Leadership cur- riculum.

3 He holds a from Bowie Field Manual (FM) 6-22, army Leadership is the process of influencing State College and an from The people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to George Washington University. He accomplish the mission and improve the organization. 1 What is missing served in a variety of command and staff positions in the continental United from the definition and the manual is a holistic emphasis on the emotional States and overseas. side of Leadership , not in the sense of the hyper-excited leader banging on MILITARY REVIEW November-December 2009 93. the desk or screaming at new recruits, or the much aspects of general intelligence conducted in 1940. tabooed touchy-feely leader, but leaders aware as the foundation for the study of emotional intel- of their own emotions and how they affect those Some of the most notable groundbreaking around them as they undertake the daily missions work in the field was done by Gardner.

4 In Frames and tasks assigned them. According to psycholo- of Mind, Gardner proposed that there was not just gist and author Daniel Goleman, to be successful, a one type of intelligence quotient (IQ) that led to leader must exercise and be aware of his emotions success in life, but a wide spectrum of intelligences and how his emotional competence influences the and at least four varieties of interpersonal intel- way he leads and impacts his Gardner writes of two types of personal FM 6-22 outlines the attributes and competen- intelligence that both deal with the emotions. He cies required of army leaders. But who makes up speaks of intrapersonal intelligence, which is the the army 's corps of leaders? FM 6-22 tells us an internal aspects of a person, and the interpersonal army leader is anyone who, by virtue of assumed intelligence, which turns outward towards other role or assigned responsibility, inspires and influ- individuals.

5 7 Gardner's groundbreaking work ences people to accomplish organizational goals. was further developed by Yale psychologist Peter army leaders motivate people both inside and Salovey, whose concept of emotional intelligence outside the chain of command to pursue actions, included appraising the emotions in self and others, focus thinking, and shape decisions for the greater regulating emotions in self and others, and using good of the The general public's emotions in adaptive These were identified idea of an army leader is the crusty old NCO or and described in his 1990 study, conducted with an the charismatic officer leading troops into battle or associate, Peter Mayer. The term emotional intel- the well-decorated general giving the inspirational ligence was also introduced in this speech. However, based on the army 's definition, Psychologist Daniel Goleman popularized emo- its leaders are persons that satisfy the responsibili- tional intelligence with his landmark book of that ties within that definition; that is, Soldiers, civilians, name, which became a household expression as noncommissioned officers, warrant officers, and well as a field of study worth consideration in the commissioned officers; indeed, the full gamut of business, academic, and social-science communi- personnel in the army system.

6 The army recog- ties. Goleman developed his theory about emotional nizes that every person has the ability and potential intelligence through research in more than 200. to be a leader. All of the army 's leaders can benefit organizations, explaining that without emotional from a greater understanding of their emotions and intelligence, a person can have first class training, the emotions of others. an incisive mind, and an endless supply of good ideas, but still not make a great Supported Emotional Intelligence: by his research, Goleman maintained that despite A Brief History their cognitive intelligence and business smarts, Emotional intelligence is hardly a new field of executives and managers could not have gained study; it is based on a long history of research and their levels of success if they had not possessed theory in the fields of psychology, human intel- emotional In his initial research ligence, and the social sciences.

7 In his 1983 book and theories, based on the findings of Salovey and Frames of Mind, Harvard psychologist Howard Mayer, Goleman adopted a five-domain model, Gardner indicates that the study of the emotional which he later modified to a four-domain side of intelligence can be traced back to the early 1800s to the studies of Franz Joseph Gall and his associate, Johann Gaspar Spurzheim, who identi- a person can have first class fied the presence of three affective faculties in training, an incisive mind, and an the brain reverence, self-esteem, and reflective Dr. Reuven BarOn, author and developer endless supply of good ideas, but of the Emotional Quotient Inventory, identifies still not make a great leader. David Wechsler and his studies on the nonintellective 94 November-December 2009 MILITARY REVIEW. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. Although recognized as one of the leading voices in the emotional intelligence community, Self-awareness is relevant Goleman's construct is not the only emotional intelligence model, nor is it the definitive thought for contemporary operations on emotional intelligence.

8 BarOn's model presents requiring cultural sensitivity . five realms of emotional intelligence with 15 scales. Both constructs align with the army 's Leadership Requirements Model. Does not discuss how to develop the skills necessary to employ the many facets of emotions Emotional Intelligence in successfully. army Leadership Doctrine Taking these steps will enhance the Leadership The army has long recognized that its suc- manuals and provide valuable assistance to army cess depends upon its people. The age-old army leaders in becoming emotionally intelligent and maxim is Mission first. People always. This is more effective. not just lip service. The army spends an exceptional In June 2008, the army published its study on the amount of time emphasizing the importance of Human Dimension in Full Spectrum Operations, leader-to-follower relationships, teamwork, esprit 2015-2024. Despite its title, the manual does not de corps, and organizational climate.

9 Each of these discuss the emotional aspects of Soldiers and lead- issues requires the holistic inclusion of emotional- ers in peace or in combat where the emotional skills intelligence components in leader-training, doc- advanced by emotional intelligence are particularly trine, and Leadership literature. critical to understanding how Soldiers react and in Field Manual 6-22 does not limit its discussion of how they develop resiliency. The pamphlet identi- the emotional aspects of Leadership to the Leader- fies the human dimension as the moral, cognitive, ship Requirements Model. Paragraph headings that and physical components to raise, prepare, and sound like emotional intelligence competencies employ the army in full spectrum can be found throughout the manual; paragraphs However, the pamphlet addresses several aspects address Soldier and leader self-awareness, the of emotional intelligence. It identifies the need for emotional factors [my emphasis] of Leadership (self leader self-awareness and acknowledgment of this control, stability, and balance) as well as interper- characteristic in others.

10 The study also identifies the sonal tact, adaptability, and Soldier-to-leader and leader-to-Soldier socialization The army 's current Leadership doctrine promotes process, both elements of emotional intelligence self-aware, adaptive, flexible, and agile leaders. and the individual need to develop a broad concept Each of these elements are competencies of emo- of social Identifying these elements as tional intelligence. The army 's Leadership doctrine important to the human dimension is an important describes its leaders as self-aware and innovative first and identifies the importance of self-awareness: The next step must provide a holistic application Self-awareness has the potential to help all leaders of these elements and others under the umbrella become better adjusted and more effective. Self- of emotional intelligence. The study continues the awareness is relevant for contemporary operations broad-brush approach of FM 6-22 in addressing the requiring cultural sensitivity and for a leader's emotional aspects of Soldiers and leaders.