Dr, Jennifer Haddad Connell
6:54 AM

Hello Everyone:

In the 1990’s when the business world first heard about Emotional Intelligence (EI), it was viewed as something unique to an individual, but realistically work is completed by groups and teams; EI should be considered as a critical component of how well teams perform (Druskat & Wolff, (2015). Comprehensive EI of team members supports group identification and trust among members; productivity is positively affected which leads to greater creativity and innovation. EI of a group requires a conscious discussion of emotions among group members so that knowledge of how work and end results are affected can be understood and discussed by team members (Druskat & Wolff, 2015); it’s important not to sweep members’ emotions under the rug after they suddenly surface but rather address them up front, understand each other, and work to make your group its best.

Since we know that EI is important for teams, just as it is with leaders, please consider the following question:

How do you think that EI in a leader, whether high or low (you choose) affects the EI of a team? Does a leader with high EI automatically inspire the team to address emotions, or is there more work to be done? Please share your thoughts as well as your experiences. I look forward to this discussion.

Druskat, V., Wolff, S. 2015. Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups. On Emotional Intelligence. pp. 71-91. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation.