Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Hands-On ... - always yours

84 LEADING WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
WHAT IS THE EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL COMPETENCY?
Emotional Self-Control is demonstrated by a leader being able
to manage impulsive and/or distressing feelings. Leaders who are
competent in Emotional Self-Control are able to stay composed,
calm, and unflappable in stressful situations, regardless of the
environment. They have control of their emotions versus their emotions
controlling them. Leaders with Emotional Self-Control think
clearly while under pressure. 1 Their IQ and executive functioning
stay intact. One reason why Emotional Self-Control is so critical to
focus on is that it is fragile and thus can be lost in a second with
devastating effects.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH EXAMPLES
Case studies of wrecked careers were examined by a consulting
firm in the course of testing 4,265 people from all levels in the
organizations studied. These employees all had lack of impulse
control, with little ability to delay gratification. 2 In a study of 700
professional football players in the NFL, including draft choices and
college players, those with higher levels of restraint were rated by
their coaches as having greater ability, being more motivated, being
stronger leaders, and as easier to coach. 3 Store managers who are
best able to manage their stress and stay unemotional have the most
profitable stores in a national retail chain. 4
STRESS, EQ, AND IQ
Henry Thompson has been studying the effects of stress on EQ
and IQ since the early 1980s. In one study he exposed people to
the stress of a baby crying and found that the higher the stress the
less emotionally intelligent participants behaved. 5 Thompson did
another study with 62 participants taking the EQi under normal and
simulated “stressed-out” mindset conditions. He found the stressedout
mindset participants scored 20 points below the normal participants.
This was one standard deviation less than the norm. These