An Emphasis on Emotional Intelligence
What attributes lead to a successful career? Is raw intelligence key or are relational skills such as empathy more important in the workplace? These are questions Dr. George Lehman, professor emeritus of business, often pondered with students enrolled in leadership courses through Bluffton鈥檚 MBA program. They鈥檙e questions Lehman originally explored as a student at Case Western Reserve University, and they鈥檙e questions Lehman is still exploring at Bluffton as he takes on a new role focused on emotional intelligence.
For many jobs, IQ is important. For example, not everyone has the IQ to become a nuclear physicist. This is called threshold competency. However, exceeding the threshold competency for a certain position doesn鈥檛 mean someone will be a better worker than another applicant who simply meets the threshold.
鈥淵ou have to have enough raw intelligence to know what you are doing in your career,鈥
explained Lehman, 鈥渂ut people who are very good at their jobs often have skills that
don鈥檛 show up on IQ tests.鈥
Instead, Lehman looks to the growing research of emotional intelligence as a key success
factor for leaders. Often abbreviated to EI or EQ, emotional intelligence is a cornerstone
of the leadership courses taken by adult and graduate students at Bluffton. While
IQ is relatively
fixed, measured by tests and quantified through a numeric score, EQ is flexible and
can be improved, but is not easily measured or defined by a fixed score.
鈥淓Q was developed in the 1980s as an alternative to IQ and people are really intrigued by it,鈥 said Lehman. 鈥淧eople often want to take a test to see how good they are at it, but emotional intelligence should not be about how well you do on a particular EQ test. Instead, the focus should be on what you learn about yourself.鈥
Lehman was approved to administer and interpret the Emotional and Social Competence Inventory and incorporated the concepts into Bluffton鈥檚 coursework in 2015.
鈥淜now Thyself鈥
There are four parts to a basic EQ structure: self-awareness, social awareness, self-management and relationship management. Or in Lehman鈥檚 words, 鈥渦nderstanding your emotions and the emotions of others so you can manage yourself and others effectively.鈥
While all four 鈥渜uadrants鈥 work together, according to Lehman, the key is self-awareness.
Roughly 40 years ago, emotional intelligence began gaining traction and acceptance through the research and publications of psychologists Peter Salovey, now the President of Yale University, and John D. Mayer. However, the concept of self-awareness is certainly much older. The phrase 鈥淜now Thyself鈥 is inscribed on the Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi and Benjamin Franklin wrote in the 1750 Poor Richard鈥檚 Almanac, 鈥淭here are three things extremely hard, steel, a diamond and to know one鈥檚 self.鈥
To improve self-awareness in the workplace, Lehman suggests spending time thinking about what you really want from your career.
鈥淧eople have very different needs from the workplace. For some, it鈥檚 financial stability,鈥
explained Lehman. 鈥淔or others, it鈥檚 also about companionship, achievement or mental
stimulation. There are many reasons people work, and when we get riled up at work,
it鈥檚 likely one of those needs is not being met.鈥
Spreading the word
Now retired from regular teaching, Lehman is sharing his knowledge of emotional intelligence with several new audiences. This spring, he began providing a series of small-group workshops for Bluffton鈥檚 faculty and staff. Each training includes an initial seminar to introduce the concepts followed by additional sessions of reflection.
鈥淓Q is something you need to chew on for a little bit. You can鈥檛 just say, 鈥榦k, I got this,鈥欌 said Lehman. 鈥淧art of your growth is reflecting on what you鈥檙e learning.鈥
Lehman started with the admissions and business offices but will eventually reach
every department on campus. The goal is to help faculty and staff better relate to
each other
and to students.
Recently, he provided an emotional intelligence overview during Chamber University with the Lima-Allen County Chamber of Commerce. Emotional intelligence workshops for organizations connected to Bluffton through the Corporate Partners Program are also available.
Still in its early stages, the university is also working to develop a certification program or a collection of courses with a strong EQ component. A strategic plan initiative, the goal is for the certification to be available to undergraduate students as well as adult students.
鈥淗elping people understand emotional intelligence, including our students and our partners, will strengthen the businesses and organizations who hire our graduates,鈥 said Lehman.