Introduction

Leaders in an organization have the responsibility to influence and guide employees in an organization. However, not all individuals possess the qualities of a good leader. Other than technical skills, leaders should also possess social skills which make it easier for them to interact and lead a group of people. One of the most important social skills is emotional intelligence (English, 2006). Organizations today are now looking for more than just the basic skills of leaders such as communication but also skills such as emotional intelligence which help leaders to motivate their employee and have a professional relationship. This skill refers to the ability to understand and control the emotions of oneself as a leader as well as the emotions of employees. Other than that emotional intelligence also encompasses the ability to detach oneself from short-term emotions which could affect the productivity of the employees.

Emotions play an essential role in how people work and the decisions people make in a workplace setting. Therefore, it is important that people know how to control their emotions to prevent them from getting into the way of productivity (Banerjee et.al, 2014).  According to a survey done by IBM in 2012, more than 1700 CEOs said that their top needs for leaders in their organization are the ability to collaborate with employees and connect with customers both of which are driven by emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence offers alt of advantages to organizations and employees. For instance, leaders who show high levels of emotional intelligence foster comfortable and safe environments for working as leaders are collaborative. Also, emotionally intelligent people do not take things personally and can control their emotions. This paper will, therefore, discuss the results from two tests on emotional intelligence and leadership while giving an analysis of how the results can be improved to improve my career.

How emotionally intelligent are you?

From the test on emotional intelligence, I scored 51 out of 75. This score shows that my emotional intelligence levels are average which means that I have good relationships with colleagues in the workplace, but I find it difficult to work with others. Therefore, there is still an improvement. One of the best things about emotional intelligence is that it a trait that can be learned from observation or intentional efforts to improve. For a person to be emotionally intelligent, they must first understand their emotions and be able to control them as they will be in a better position to lead and understand the emotions of other people.

One of the questioners that I scored very low was one of feedback. From the test, I do not ask for feedback on what I do well or how I can improve. The ability to ask for feedback either compliments or criticism and to use the information to improve on the week areas is important as it helps in building one’s careers. In all careers, there are people who have more experience and knowledge whose input could be of importance to build ones career (Johnsrud & Rosser, 2000). Other than that, input from other people helps leaders in understanding the emotions of employees which is a building block of emotional intelligence.

I scored high makes on the test in several areas. For instance, I listen actively when people are speaking to me, and I know my strengths and weaknesses. Actively listening to people means that I am able to listen to them with the intention of understanding rather than giving a response and during this process, I connect with the speakers. Also, knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses helps an individual when trying to improve on the weak areas (Tobin & Pettingell, 2008).

Leadership Style Questionnaire

This second assessment focused on leadership approach and decision-making skills, I scored 50 out of 100 which is average. From the summary of the test results, I gathered that I do not have good communication skills. For instance, communicating a clear vision for an activity in the organization is difficult for me because I am not able to communicate the vision in a way that will excite other people (Bingham, 2013). This problem creates a ripple effect as the employees fail to share the same passion as I which results in little or no effort towards the achievement of the said vision. Therefore, it is important that I communicate ideas and information in such a way to show that I am confident and excited about my ideas as it helps in persuading and convincing others to join and share the vision. Therefore, it is important to make employees part of the vision.

However, each leader is unique and cannot be limited by the results of the assessment. Also, different organizations demand different qualities from a leader. Therefore, an individual is not expected to copy the leadership approach used in an organization to another as the workplace and employees are also unique (Shaw, 2008). The goal of a leader is to bring out the best in every employee through guidance, motivation, and encouragement. However, basic leadership traits cannot be ignored.

Contradiction

For most of the part of the assessment, I agree with the assessments. However, some of the results contradict with how I understand my emotional intelligence and leadership approach (Stashevsky, 2006). On the emotional intelligence test, I agree with the assessment results that my emotional intelligence is average. However, there are aspects of emotional intelligence that have not been included in the test that would have resulted in a better score. One of the aspects is adaptability which is the ability of a person to be flexible enough so that they are able to make changes that would suit their situation. A person who is not adaptable is not emotionally intelligent as they tend to make decisions based on their feelings rather than looking for solutions that are practical in a specific situation. I believe I am adaptable which would have contributed to a higher score. However, this does not mean that I am perfect. There is still room for improvement (Ancona, 2009).

The second assessment of leadership approach and decision making was very eye-opening. I scored 50 out of 100 which was below average. Therefore, I have a lot to do when it comes to my leadership and decision making skills. Although the questions asked are crucial in determining leadership skills, a leader should be able to be flexible enough so as to influence and guide employees of an organization in such a way the organizational goal is shared. This means that while some traits may be desirable in a certain organization, they may be needed in another. It is up to the leader to recognize the needs of an organization and make a difference.

Results analysis with career

My emotional intelligence levels are okay. Thus, this trait will help in the development of my career. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize the emotions of employees and use them to influence how the employees work in the organization to achieve a common goal. This ability is crucial in my career because it improves communication (Farrar, 2009). Communication is one of the essential activities in an organization as employees share ideas and bond through communication. Emotional intelligence is linked to communication in that when a person understands their feelings, they are also able to express them in a way that easies for others to understand. Social skills associated with emotional intelligence are also important for career development as a person is able to show empathy and understanding towards other people which creates a good working relationship between leaders and their subordinates.

On leadership approach and decision-making skills, I had several aspects that can help in my careers such as the ability to remain calm even in the midst of chaos and pressure. As a result, other people are able to look at me as a source of inspiration. However, there are also a number of things that could hinder the success of my career such failure to consult with other people before making decisions. Although leaders should be confident in their decisions, it is important to take suggestions from other people. An organization is composed of thousands of people from different backgrounds who can offer brilliant ideas and solutions from their different experiences. Also, I get upset when things do not go as expected (Goleman et.al, 2013). This is a hindrance to my career because it could result in panic from employees who look up to me for inspiration.

Alignment

Assuming these results were an accurate picture of my leadership approach and intelligence. There would be need to align my leadership approach and emotional intelligence with my career plans so as to achieve the effectiveness required in leadership. Aligning these results with my career plans would need me to improve on some areas (Sinofsky & Iansiti, 2010). One of the most important areas that require improvements is the ability to create a rapport with other people in the workplace. A rapport is defined as a harmonious relationship between people who understand each other’s feelings and communicate openly. As a way of aligning my career plans with the results, I need to be more conscious about how I relate with people who interact with me regardless of their position in the organization.

There are also a lot of skills I need to adapt to be a better leader which as highlighted by the assessment, I do not possess. To improve such skills, I plan to go for leadership conferences and training. Although leadership can be innate, it is possible for a person to learn how to guide a group of people effectively by attending conference or training (Aldag & Kuzuhara, 2015). One of the benefits of leadership training is that it helps in nurturing leaders by trying to identify the strengths and weakness of each person. As a result, each employee is able to implement the best leadership style depending on their weaknesses and strengths. Also, training helps in making in making better decisions and employee engagement.

Finally, I would require to get a mentor to help me in my career path. Contrary to popular belief, it is not possible for leaders to have solutions to all challenges. Mentors help leaders through some of these challenging moments. A mentor is important in various aspects of the career of a leader such as when a leader is facing problems with co-workers or employees, making a decision about career opportunities presented and improving soft skills such as communication (Bradberry & Greaves, 2005). Therefore, a mentor keeps a leader grounded in their professional journey and provide direction which may not be available from other co-workers or supervisors. Mentors also act as career coaches and help fill any gaps that may be present in career development growth.

Conclusion

Leadership traits are one of the most desirable qualities in employees. Leaders, however, must possess to be able to lead a group of people towards achieving organizational goals. Emotional intelligence is one of these important traits. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to be aware of one’s feelings and those of others which results in improved bonds between leaders and their employees, improved communication and more comfortable working spaces (Roy, 2015). Other than emotional intelligence, leadership approach can also influence the productivity of employees. This assessment, therefore, helped me to understand my weaknesses and strengths related to leadership approach and emotional intelligence. Thus, I am able to identify areas that require improvement. As a way to improve my career plans, I will enroll for leadership training and mentorship. This will not only make me more competitive in my job market but also make me a better leader.

 
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