Die EI, die

I attended a "leadership" panel discussion yesterday. The panelists interviewed a local executive on his leadership style, which he called "outsider leadership." Basically, he said he was always the smart kid in the room, never the popular kid--an introvert that preferred to study in the library over play on the playground. Now he runs a 100MM a year organization.

The panelists, a couple of executives, kept talking about emotional intelligence (EI) this and emotional intelligence that. But this guy, the successful interviewee, basically said repeatedly, "I don't have any advanced EI. I think hard about problems, set up the right strategy, and ensure my team executes. I don't chit chat with the team about Suzie's softball game or what they did over the weekend."

This just didn't compute with the panelist.

It never sank in with them that general mental ability (GMA), often measured as IQ, is the single biggest predictor of performance and career accomplishment. This relationship holds true whether you are a maintenance worker, computer programmer, or executive.

EI research is in its infancy. Most of it is based on single-source, self-reported measures (surveys or inventories where participants rate themselves).

References

Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. (2004). General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(1), 162–173. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.86.1.162

Walter, F., Cole, M. S., & Humphrey, R. H. (2011). Emotional intelligence: Sine qua non of leadership or folderol? Academy of Management Perspectives, 25(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10/gdm2t8