Emotionally Intelligent Leaders, Supervisors, and Managers

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Steinwall (2013) lecture provided an in-depth review of several constructs that are important to leaders, managers, and supervisors. The constructs of optimism, coping, hardiness, hope and helplessness, locus of control, empowerment, emotional intelligence, happiness, and core self-evaluation are important for people who lead, manage, or supervise other people to understand. Leaders, managers, and supervisors, who develop these constructs and infuse them into their everyday life, as well as their work life, are positioned to succeed.

At first, emotional intelligence was studied in relationship to social intelligence by Thorndike (1920). Emotional intelligence did not become a hot topic in organizations or corporations until Goleman’s (1995) research. Today, emotional intelligence should be considered at every level of an organization; from the leaders (CEO’s), to front line supervisors, managers, and employees. Goleman (1995) suggested a model of emotional intelligence that includes awareness of self, management of self, awareness of social environment, and management of one’s relationships (Goleman, 1995).

Awareness of self and management of self are personal emotional intelligence domains. Self-awareness applies to a person’s ability to understand emotions, areas of strengths and areas for improvement, as well as the ability to assess self from an accurate and authentic awareness (Goleman, 1995). Self-management relates to a person’s capacity to manage and regulate emotions and the ability to stay calm, cool, and collected during times of chaos. Moreover, self-managed people are self-motivated and take initiative (Goleman, 1995). The second two aspects of emotional intelligence are social in nature. The social aspects of emotional intelligence are concerned with a person's relationship management skills (Goleman, 1995).

Managing one’s relationships at work is about the skills of communication, influence, collaboration, and working with employees and other colleagues (Goleman, 1995). Leaders who have the ability to take employees and group members’ feelings’ into consideration when making decisions is a socially aware leader. (Goleman, 1995) Taken together, awareness of self , management of self, awareness of social environment, and management of one’s relationships self-awareness are critical domains of emotional intelligence that once understood and applied in the workplace, can support and increase in organizational productivity, wealth creation, and organizational sustainability (Steinwall, 2013).

Reference

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence; Why it can matter more than IQ.

          New York, NY: Random House Publishers.

Steinwall, M. (2013). Psychological instruments to measure the human

          element. MGT/736 Contemporary Management Systems. University of

          Phoenix website.

Thorndike, E. L. (1920). Intelligence and its use. Harper's Magazine, 140, 227-

          235.

Maslow and Selfless-Actualization

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Good afternoon M:

Thank you for your post. I believe the suggestion in your post, “utilizing the award system for employees that go beyond their job description” (Kamara, 2013, para. 3) could align with the discussion I have been having with Jack and Van regarding “happy” employees. A person who would go beyond their job description could be seen as an individual who has been enlightened past Maslow’s (1965) definition of a “self-actualized” person to a “selfless- actualized” person. In later research, Maslow (1971) suggested that, “There is a definition and process that transcends the self in self- actualization characterized by such terms as selfless, devoted, working at a calling and "being-values" (p. 128).

I believe what Maslow (1971) was talking about is what we refer to today as servant leadership. Greene and Burke (2007) argued that what is relevant to the selfless-actualized person is creativity. I believe employees who are allowed to be creative at their place of employment are probably happiest. Maslow (1971) recommended that organizations find avenues for authentic creativity to emerge from their employees. Greene and Burke’s (2007) research of Maslow (1971) pointed to Maslow’s (1971) characteristics of people who go "beyond self- actualization.”

Selfless-actualized people share similar behavioral prototypes (Green & Burke, 2007). Self-actualized individuals are unpretentious and live future possibilities as if they exit in the present moment (Green & Burke, 2007). Maslow (1971) included other attributes of self-less actualized individuals such as they make things right, they honor and commend others, they are down-to-earth and efficient, they see challenges as opportunities, and they are drawn to problems that are complicated. Moreover, they want everyone to excel to highest potentiality, and they are uncomplicated and efficient (Greene & Burke, 2007).

Greene and Burke (2007) acknowledged that from a societal perspective it is critical to have an others’ worldview. Greene and Burke (2007) noted that this “other focus” is especially important in health care where most employees have altruistic intentions. Aligning creativity and self-less actualization makes more effective delivery of service and happy employees (Greene & Burke, 2007). Greene and Burke (2007) noted the selfless-actualization is iterative and on-going. The authors suggested for organizations to empower creativity in their employees (which results in “happy” employees and increased productivity), organizations can invest in the following;

•   Educate through art,
•   Grasp an awareness of operating in an environment of opposition
• Cultivate employees autonomy and individual personalities and goals
• Engage in dialogues on ethics,
• Engage conversations on workplace spirituality
• Practice sense- making, invention, connectiveness,
• Be authentic, present in the moment and straightforward,
•  Be a role model, and
•  Be aware of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and its relevance to the workplace (Greene & Burke, 2007).

As noted by Greene and Burke (2007), this idea that Maslow (1971) was embarking upon, prior to his death that one should move beyond self-actualization to selfless actualization seems to be more critical in this day and age, as when Maslow (1971) was first introducing it. It is about organizations engaging in strategic cooperation rather than strategic self-interest.

References

Greene, L., & Burke, G. (2007). Beyond self-actualization. Retrieved from

          https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/4089/fulltext.pdf

Kamara, M. (2013, May 30). Week 6 DQ 10. Message posted to University of

          Phoenix class forum MGT/736 – Contemporary Systems Management

          website.

Maslow, A. H. (1971). The farther reaches of human nature. New York, NY:

          Viking Press.

Creative Vision, Tension, and Shared Leadship

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Good Afternoon O:

Thank you for your post. Senge (1990) spoke of leadership, creative tension, building a shared vision in organizations. I believe his discussion relates to your post that highlights the importance of leaders empowering creativity with organizations. Senge (1990) considered these aspects of organizations that allow for creativity.

Leadership

• Help employees reflect on their practice continuously, and build personal goals that help them evolve
• Let employees know that you don’t have all of the answers, but that more employees working together is the answer
• Model continuous reflection and learning and share it with other employees

Creative tension

• To move in the right direction, gather research and data to support your vision
• Communicate your vision clearly and often
• Recognize the reality of where you are, but focus on what the future could be
• Keep both the reality and vision in the forefront of your mind and those of your employees

Building a shared vision

• Align smaller goals to the shared vision so that people understand the larger whole
• Consistently emphasize why you are doing what you are doing
• Encourage employees to support one another as part of the greater whole
• Learn from mistakes and set-backs as an organization
• Celebrate each positive step and approach the vision as a processes
• View the shared vision of being, thinking, and doing together, rather than a frozen snapshot in time that you hope to achieve (Senge, 1990).

If organizations take these aspects into account, creativity would flow from the mountaintops down in every facet of the organization. Thank you for your post!

Reference

Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Currency Doubleday.

Maslow and Corporate Strategy

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Discuss the impact Abraham Maslow’s work has on corporate strategy, if any. 

Maslow’s work began in 1943 when he discovered that human needs that were not yet satisfied is what drove human behavior. Maslow (1943) also indicated in his theory that after those basic needs were satisfied, those behaviors no longer motivated human behavior. He designed a pyramid to display this theory starting with psychological needs then moving upward to safety and security, and further upward to love and belonging. From love and belonging, the pyramid moves upward to ego, and finally to self-actualization (Maslow, 1943).

Maslow’s theory possesses key considerations for management, including best practices for motivating employees, customers, and other stakeholders (MBAOnlineProgram.com, 2013). For example, corporate leaders can use the Hierarchy of Needs to creatively motivate employees by understanding how needs play into designing a job, salary and compensation, and the best management style to use with individuals (MBAOnlineProgram.com, 2013).

There exists a number of ways that mangers and leaders of organizations can leverage the physiological needs of employees. First, employers can provide sufficient wages that can assist employees with supporting their basic needs (MBAOnlineProgram.com, 2013). Second, organization and corporations can provide job security, retirement plans, and an environment that is safe for working (MBAOnlineProgram.com, 2013). Third, developing a team atmosphere can address the social needs of employees whereby a reciprocal relationship between team members provides motivation for employees to succeed (MBAOnlineProgram.com, 2013).

Fourth, from a sales and marketing standpoint, organizations such as a clothing store, can concentrate on esteem and self-actualization needs by manufacturing clothing that can enhance a person’s self-image to the point that people are encouraged to discover and move towards self-actualization needs. In these ways, organization can use Maslow’s (1943) Hierarchy of Needs to enhance corporate strategies. Using Maslow's (1943) pyramid in an a corporation's strategy is a win-win for both corporations and employees.

References

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review.

          50(1), 370-396.

MBAOnline Program. (2013). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & Business

          Strategy. Retrieved from http://www.mba-online-program.com/maslows-

hierarchy-of-needs-business-strategy