The Emotionally Intelligent Manager (Review)

Caruso and Salovey write,

“The fundamental premise of The Emotionally Intelligent Manager is that emotion is not just important but absolutely necessary for us to make good decisions, take optimal action to solve problems, cope with change, and succeed.” (ix)

 

They reiterate that emotions are data that can aid our ability to read people and lead them appropriately towards the desired ends. Reading, understanding, interpreting, and managing emotions in working relationships does not come easy to many, so the authors seek to provide the reader with a basic understanding of how emotions function within workplace communication. They strive to provide a model as well as practical insights that can help one can develop their own ability to use the available emotional data within one’s self and among co-workers for the greater good.

Though emotions are often seen as a completely subjective area of knowledge, they draw on many research-based results from the worlds of psychology and communication theory. One example is drawing from the commonly referred to data that only 7% of communication is verbal compared to non-verbal and tonal communication. Much of the authors’ thesis is anchored on these types of studies, which show that there is much more to communication and relationships that many people initially think. Given the weight of non-verbal cues and tone in communication, the need is shown for increased emotional self-awareness and capacity for reading the full range of communication cues from others, which draw heavily from emotions.

I agree with the authors – emotions are integral to all of life and they illustrate this well. Emotions are data, but they are more than that. Emotions provide windows into the souls and inner lives of those we interact with and work with. Being able to recognize what is going on at deeper levels in those that we are working with or working for is an invaluable tool as we seek to discern appropriate communication and decision-making. To fail to recognize the signals that reveal what people are truly experiencing or feeling is to miss out on significant information that could greater inform one’s leadership approach or style in any given situation. The author’s clearly are seeking to help people catch the informational clues that are offered through emotions so that they need not tread leadership waters in unnecessary ignorance of what truly is making people tick around them.

As a ministry leader, I think it is a very helpful tool, but I differ from the authors in terms of the overall goal or end of emotional intelligence in leadership. The authors place the value of emotional intelligence into the business world setting where there are bottom lines and overall effectiveness issues to be considered. Believers should not only be driven to discover what leads to the greater bottom line. Christians ought to be driven by the motive of learning the tools and skills to be able to better love others. That is the thrust of Peter Scazzero’s books on emotional healthy spirituality and emotional healthy church. I agree that emotional intelligence is a good tool for greater leadership success, but I believe it is a critical area to help leaders develop as transformational servant leaders who love their people well on the journey of accomplishing goals and moving towards the vision.

The unique contribution and value of the book is its incredibly practical value for people who are seeking a set of basic tools to deepen their capacity for functioning in the different skill sets the authors identify as “emotional intelligence.” Their “emotional blueprint” is a great tool that captures how emotions can be integrated into more effective decision-making processes. Many leaders I know today understand that emotions are important, but they fail to understand how “emotions work” so they are limited in their ability to respond appropriately or wisely. As an NFL fan, I often hear analysts discuss the need for the quarterback to read and react appropriately to the defense that presents itself. This book can help the leader develop their capacity to read situations more accurately, synthesize that information as they make decisions, and then understand how to act appropriately as they execute the behavior that is most constructive for that situation.

I would recommend this book with leaders who are leading teams and consistently need to navigate the changing emotional climates of the people that they lead. This can be a great developmental tool for team leaders to grow in their understanding of how to use emotions, even negative emotions, to their advantage as they delegate team responsibilities and tackle decision making as a group. I would more likely recommend this book to those managers or leaders who struggle with theory or concepts and that thrive on facts and extremely practical steps and suggestions.