Daniel Goldman is a renowned name in the field of psychology. He has done a lot of work in the field, but his work on emotional intelligence is his most path breaking contribution to psychology. He asserts that both intellectual quotient (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EI) have great value in building career and developing leadership skills (Schawbel). But, focus on EI is imperative as it can be learned and mastered, unlike IQ. He concludes that self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management are four important aspects of EI (Schawbel 2011). The four aspects need to follow a hierarchical pattern. The first step is to understand the ‘self’ and be aware of the strengths and weakness. The second step is to manage the self effectively. Managing the self is the foundation to managing other people. The third step is to be aware about the society. Once a comprehensive understanding of the society has been developed, managing these relationships is the next step.
Managing EI and its implications for effective leadership management is one of his major contributions. However, the psychologist’s contribution to social and ecological intelligence cannot be undermined. He argues that social and ecological intelligence are also important for leadership development. Social intelligence helps in understanding and managing social relationships. A study conducted shows that leaders high on social intelligence perform better than their peers who score low on this intelligence (Goleman). Ecological intelligence is also essential for successful leaders as it constitutes of realisation and management of ecological footprints.
Daniel Goldman’s contribution to the field of psychology has been immense. His new concepts of intelligence have emerged as an effective tool for development of leadership skills. It has opened up new dimensions to enhance leadership. Unlike IQ, these aspects of intelligence are improvable and can be mastered with time and determination.
Works Cited
Daniel, Goleman. “Leadership: Social Intelligence is Essential”. Danielgoleman.info, 28 Feb. 2008. Web. 27 May 2012.
Schawbel, Dan. “Daniel Goleman on Leadership and the Power of Emotional Intelligence”. Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2011. Web 27 May 2012.
