The New Face in Leadership: Emotional Intelligence

In the new millennium we are witnessing the shifts in the global economy, competition, and human resource needs thus, requiring a leader who must have more than a vision that inspires others but be able to execute it successfully to ensure the vision becomes a reality (Dunning, 2000). This emphasis on execution requires a reliance on teamwork and cooperation unseating the traditional top-down leadership approach. Success with this new paradigm hinges on interpersonal relationships or the skills of what Goleman (1995) has popularized as emotional intelligence. Leadership in academia is not much different from what we see in business, except for the added and often conflicting responsibility of teaching and scholarly productivity. Being pulled in equally important and demanding directions can result in emotional havoc, social discord, and decreased productivity. Therefore, understanding the concept of emotional intelligence and its role in becoming a more effective leader becomes paramount for those of us in academic leadership positions. The purpose of this article is to explain the major components of emotional intelligence model in relation to the characteristics of successful leaders in today's world.