Conflict Management
In any given relationships, conflicts are inevitable. This is because people hold different views, have different opinions, expectations, cultures, beliefs among many other factors. Emotional intelligence, which is the ability of a person to perceive and understand his/her own emotions and that of others or group, plays a key role in the effective management of conflicts. The determinants of the relationship between conflict management and emotional intelligence have been identified as communication, interpersonal relationships, concern for self and others and the transformation and reinterpretation of the conflict situation (Goleman et al, 2002). If a leader, facilitator or mediator were unaware of how his/her behaviors, beliefs or thoughts affect his/her subjects or a client, the conflict management process would fail. Emotional intelligence when used in conflict management would involve the understanding and acknowledgement of the feelings of the clients, using of positive words to create a positive outlook in negative situations and the appreciation and encouragement of clients. In conflict management, there is the urgent need of spotting the conflict, putting it out on the open and the encouragement of discussions and debate to be able to come up with a resolution. Motivation, empathy and social skills are vital to a successful conflict management process (Goleman, 1998). Emotional intelligence would always have a positive association with conflict management strategies.
Many organizations rely on the skills and knowledge of their workers for them to be successful. Individuals are the resources of any given organization. Emotional intelligence would involve the recognizing of one’s feelings and those of others, for self-motivation and the management of those emotions for themselves and their relationships. The instilling of motivation among workers of a given organization would make them feel appreciated and hence they would put in more effort knowing that their effort does not go to waste. With a motivated team, an organization would easily achieve its set objectives and the pre-determined outcomes. The instilling of empathy and other social skills including listening and communication skills among others, would provide a peaceful environment for work that will be free of conflicts since workers would get to understand each other and value their diversity. A working environment that has workers valuing their diversity would contribute to an organization’s positive results. The more the workforce is emotional intelligent, the greater an organization performs which would in turn inculcate quality that improves customer satisfaction.
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is defined to be the change or the transformation introduced to individuals or organizations by their leaders. Transformational leadership generates awareness on the mission and vision of the organization and develops workers or colleagues into high levels of potential and ability. Transformational leaders on the other hand, act as mentors to their followers by encouraging and motivating learning, achievement and individual development. They further act as role models to their mentors, provide challenges to them, evoke emotions and foster a climate of trust between them (Hartsfield, 2003). Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership are significantly related. (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002) argue that element of emotional intelligence such as self-awareness, self-confidence and empathy among others play a key role in transformational or visionary leadership. Kemper (1999) noted that for those in leadership positions, emotional intelligence accounts for about 90% of what distinguishes outstanding leaders from those viewed as average. It can be concluded that transformational leadership is synonymous with emotional intelligence.
References
Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal leadership: Realizing the power of emotional intelligence. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.
Hartsfield, M. (2003). The internal dynamics of transformational leadership: Effects of spirituality, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy.
