“I Have a Dream”, Martin Luther King Jr. 

“When the command is given: “Forward March” Germany will march”, Adolf Hitler

“Blood, toil, tears and sweat”, Winston Churchill

The three great speeches that were given by the three most popular leaders of all time, that changed the course of history. What is common in all three of them? What is that special addition in the speeches that initiated belief in thousands of people? The answer to these questions is Emotional Intelligence (EI). Delivering these electrifying speeches required Emotional Intelligence- the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions. To resonate with thousands of people like that you need a perfectly balanced mixture of reason and emotion, of anger and hope.

The term Emotional Intelligence was first introduced in the book by Daniel Goleman in 1995. It was a new concept that, just as people have a wide range of intellectual abilities, they also have a wide range of emotional skills that affect their thinking and actions. Since then researchers have combined EI with almost every human behavior. They have touted it as the solution for a wide range of social problems like bullying, prejudice, racism, etc. They think that with improved EI, you could become a better leader, a better employee, or even a better parent or spouse. This is true in most cases but with so much uncontrolled enthusiasm, people have neglected the dark side of EI.

EI Advantages in the Workplace

“Even more, employers wanting to create the workplace of the future - the one that millennials are demanding - must understand that ignoring EI not only has grave impacts on their human capital, but ultimately on their future success,” -  Alex Clemente, MD of HBR-AS

• EI impacts Organizational Culture: It offers a high degree of empowerment with clear decision rights, incentives & risk tolerance.
• EI Enhances the Customer Experience: Emotionally intelligent organizations report significantly stronger customer experiences and higher levels of customer loyalty and customer advocacy than companies that don’t perceive the value of EI or foster its development among their employees.
• Empowerment of the Millennials at Work: It is believed that Millennials expect 'Purpose' and 'Meaning' in their work, and place purpose high on their list of career priorities, well above incentives and rewards and technological advancements. Employers must recognize and prioritize EI skills in attracting and retaining millennial employees.

EI is a skill that can be practiced and Mastered. Once people master their emotional skills, they become better at manipulating others. Once they are good at controlling their emotions, they can hide their true feelings. Once they can understand what others are feeling, they can tug their heartstrings and motivate them to act against their best interests. Leaders who have mastered their emotions can deviate our minds from reasons. They can manipulate the masses and can lead them to the point of destruction. An example of this is Adolf Hitler. Martin Kilduff, a renowned professor in his research stated that “Emotionally intelligent people intentionally shape their emotions to fabricate favorable impressions of themselves. The strategic disguise of one’s own emotions and the manipulation of others’ emotions for strategic ends are behaviors evident not only on Shakespeare’s stage but also in the offices and corridors where power and influence are traded”. Another point of view on this is that Emotionally Intelligent people are so caught up in their head that they mostly overanalyze the situation. These people become so busy trying to do everything in the right way, that they could do nothing.  

Keeping the negative aspects of EI aside, it is not that EI is only used to achieve wicked objectives. But assuming that it is always useful is also not right. We need to think more carefully about where and when it matters. People should be aware of and more emotionally stable to avoid getting manipulated by anyone. They should not open their hearts out for anyone to take advantage of. To be persuaded, motivated, and influenced by others isn’t always a bad thing as long as it results in behavior that is consistent with your values. Succeeding in life depends mostly on how you behave socially, and a large part of social success depends on EI. But it is our perception and our judgment to use EI as virtuous or as Evil.