Leaders

M2A1: Individual Paper: Leaders in Today’s Organizations
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M2A1: Individual Paper: Leaders in Today’s Organizations
Abstract
The paper delves into Emotional Intelligence (EI) and attempts to realize its place in the workplace. There is an examination of both high and low emotional intelligences; both of which play different roles in the leadership roles of a business. Most of the leaders utilize EI for proper decision making purposes and to ensure achievement of an organization’s goals. Without leaders, there is a possibility of the staff members to tread on misleading ideas that do not lead to business success. Embracement of EI tendencies, therefore, offers a salient indication that effective management of one’s emotions augurs fruitful results. The paper delves into accountability, transformational communication and values as the major avenues for exploring the paradigms of EI in the workplace. Finally, a conclusion that wraps up the ideas is also necessary to offer a summarized version of the paper’s content. Leaders in today’s organizations are urged to employ high emotional intelligence to augur fruitful results.
Introduction
Emotional intelligence (EI) is a necessary and requisite tool in the workplace and its environs. It is the ability of individuals to take control of their emotions while looking into others’ as well (Mohla, 2015; Alhashemi & Tzudiker, 2011; Millar, 2012; Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). There are particular issues such as stress and conflicts that may ensue between the managerial staff and their subordinates.

As a result; with high emotional intelligence, it is much easier to decipher the problem(s) and acquire feasible solutions. Leaders with low emotional intelligence may, in fact, be liable to the organizations due to their affiliation with negativity and criticism. The effectiveness of emotional intelligence requires individuals to work in an organization with many employees. Emotional intelligence is a vital component for individuals that hold leadership positions in various organizations.
Accountability
With EI in the workplace, there is prevalence of accountability as each of the leaders understands their employees’ feelings. High emotional intelligence probes these leaders to realize that the organization(s) is dependent on their input [or lack thereof]. As a result, therefore, they should focus on handling all their supervisory tasks to ensure accountability (Bustin, 2014; Millar, 2012). EI denounces the idea(s) that an employer should follow up or continuously check on the employees’ progress (Bustin, 2014). Delving into PepsiCo, there is a realization that Indra Nooyi’s staff members employ EI in ensuring accountability. The organization utilizes Team Incentive Programs which are useful in motivating the employees toward self-accountability and accountability, as a whole. These programs, initiated by the leaders, make it possible for the team members and groups to work toward achieving a particular goal(s). Obviously, it is accountable [and reasonable] to break away from individualistic input to embrace group work. Managing their emotions, through EI and the help of leaders, makes it easier for the employees to expel their full potential(s). PepsiCo supports this course of action as Nooyi ensures that the employees have a work-life balance by involving themselves in programs that enhance teamwork.
Still on accountability, EI assists leaders to remember that all employees are capable of handling specific duties and tasks. Good leadership in the workplace probes leaders to treat each employee differently. Placing them on a single pedestal simply because they work within one organization impedes the leaders’ ability to realize the employees’ full potential. Again, with EI, the leaders realize that a peaceful relationship between people in the workplace is beneficial for organizational growth [and development].
Transformational Communication
Apparently, EI assists leaders in deciphering messages apropos of [transformational] communication (Drain, 2016). The ability to properly relate with oneself as well as with other people in the organization is a salient indication of emotional [and social] intelligence. Particularly; in the workplace, there is the need to ensure effective communication for the fulfillment of organizational goals. Transformational communication forces leaders to remain well-aware and in-touch of their emotions before addressing the staff members. For instance; if a leader attempts to pass an important corporate message(s) in an angry or frustrated state, they are bound to fail and mislead the employees. It is important to calm down and realize the role(s) of emotions in influencing the communication process (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011). Actually, leaders are supposed to embrace EI to avoid relaying distasteful responses to their subordinates (Drain, 2016). Communicating with the latter in such a manner-devoid of EI-only augurs discombobulating ideas amongst staff members in a particular organization(s).
PepsiCo’s leaders embraced EI by employing a new communication strategy involving meetings. Unlike phone calls, it is much easier for the leaders to communicate their message(s) to their subordinates in person. The ability to control one’s emotions is also much possible during face-to-face meeting(s). The leaders depicting high EI, therefore, utilize their social skills to address the employees in a given organization(s). PepsiCo’s preference of face-to-face meetings is also supplemented by the company’s focus on newly development digitized communication. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow the leaders to be emotionally intelligent to avoid backlash from the organization’s staff members. Transformation communication, as per the protocols of EI, is an avenue for improving leadership skills in an organization(s).
Values
There is the need to delve into the relationship between EI and values in the workplace (Neale et al., 2011; Ciarrochi & Mayer, 2013). Insofar as each organization(s) upholds different values; there are specific ones that are present in all of them. Some of them include: delivery of quality work, meeting deadlines, acting as a team member and ensuring reliability. Importantly, while looking into quality work; leaders should ensure that the employees strive to embrace this policy. EI dictates that the leaders should look into the employees’ back story and realize the cause(s) of shoddy results. For instance; if a grieving staff member is ‘forced’ to carry out a particular duty, they may end up delivering poor results. It is only intelligent enough for the leaders to empathize with these employees and motivate them for future purposes.
Behaving differently will; in fact, create a paradoxical outlook as EI should support the acquisition of these values. The employees may be demoralized if their leaders act in anger, frustration or disappointment. EI is necessary in penetrating the concepts of workplace values as the latter plays a significant part in either organizational progress or deterioration (Neale et al., 2011). If a leader heftily castigates an employee who misses a deadline, for instance, the latter may not have enough motivation to work. EI makes it possible for the leaders to gauge the extent of their emotional responses before acting upon them.
Conclusion
Due to the set-up of workplaces, both leaders and subordinates should embrace EI and its tenets. The achievement of organizational goals, for instance, is dependent on the ability of leaders to manage [and control] the staff members. When they are easily overpowered by anger, rage and frustration; they do not appear as role model figures for their subordinates. There is a particular focus on the relationship between EI and accountability, transformational communication as well as values that are present in any given organization(s). A focus on PepsiCo makes it easier to offer real-life examples about the plausibility of EI in the actual business world. More leaders should endeavor to embrace the tenets of EI to ensure that their decisions are sober and well-executed.
References
Alhashemi, S., & Tzudiker, R. (2011). Workplace Emotions: Emotional Intelligence in Bahraini Management. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Pub.
Bustin, G. (2014). Accountability: The key to driving a high-performance culture. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Ciarrochi, J., & Mayer, D.J. (2013). Applying Emotional Intelligence: A Practitioner’s Guide. Psychology Press.
Drain, L.A. (2016). EveryBody Is Talking: Building Communication Through Emotional Intelligence and Body Language Reading. AuthorHouse.
Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W. (2011). Organizational behavior. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Millar, G. (2012). Walking the Walk. Training Journal.
Mohla, N. (2015). Human drama Inc: Emotional intelligence in the workplace. Thousand Oaks : SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd.
Neale, S., Spencer-Arnell, L., Wilson, L., & Dawsonera. (2011). Emotional intelligence coaching: Improving performance for leaders, coaches and the individual. London: Kogan Page.