# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Shifting to a virtual environment for school counseling can present its own challenges, from students not being required to meet with a school counselor, to trying not to overwhelm students and families by yet another person wanting to connect with them. Yet, this is a critical time for school counselors and related student support staff to engage with students. Social-emotional learning is extremely important to continue at this time. Students and their families are overwhelmed with this new way of doing school, may also be facing job losses, and going through their own grief with the possible loss of a loved one or caring for a loved one with coronavirus.

School counselors have stepped up to this challenge of staying connected with students synchronously and asynchronous by providing check-ins with students, lessons for social-emotional learning, and helping students and families prepare for college and career after graduation. To help further support school counselors, I've compiled a helpful set of tips and resources to help school counselors shift to a virtual school counseling practice.

Activity

Tool

Counseling Tips

Gathering information from students, families, & staff
Use Google Forms or Survey Monkey
Creating a Google Voice number (With Google Voice, you can call or text parents/guardians and have them call you without sharing your personal phone number.)

Find out from teachers what students have not responded to remote learning or who may need extra support that can be provided from the school counselor.
Create a simple survey for students and/or families to determine needs.

Sharing information with students, families, and staff
Padlet - view this sample Padlet Google Sites

Smore : Free platform to make professional-looking newsletters

Learning Management System (LMS)

Use a tool such as Padlet, Google Sites, or LMS to share information categorized for students, families, staff.

Provide information about the local food pantry.

Provide information and resources to students and families for depression or students with thoughts of suicide.
What are the steps the family should take? Who do they call? Where should they go?

Share free resources for social-emotional learning that families and teachers can access.

Keep students engaged with college and career planning with resources they usually access at school.
Are there colleges holding virtual visits or meetings?

Hold regular office hours and share the information with students, families, and staff.

Ask teachers who are using Google Classroom or Seesaw if you can be added as a co-teacher to share lessons and resources with families and students.

Scheduling Tools
Use a tool such as Calendly , SignUpGenius or Doodle . This will create an invitation for you and send directly to your own calendar.

View the screencast here for Calendly .

Share on Google Classroom , Seesaw , Padlet or LMS so families and students have access so they can schedule a meeting.

Send calendar invite
If you aren't using scheduling software, create a Google Calendar invite.

In the invite, be sure to set it up with a link to the video communications tool such as, Google Hangouts , Zoom or Skype .

View the screencast to create a calendar invite with a video conferencing.

Prep
Prep for counseling session

This is where you can use the feedback from the survey to plan for the counseling session.

Gather resources to meet the needs of the student/family.

Counseling Session/Lessons
Use a video conferencing tool such as Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet , Microsoft Teams or Skype to meet with students and families.

During the counseling session, use a collaborative document such as Google Docs to document the counseling session.

Have a backup plan for technology not working.

Give students a number to call or an email address

Lessons can be used to develop social-emotional learning skills, check-ins with students, college/career planning, academic planning, other counseling sessions.

Record a lesson using Screencastify, Zoom or Loom, and share with students. Engage students through a discussion prompt on your digital platform using a link to a Padlet (students type or record their answers,), Flipgrid (students video record their answers), or Discussion Post through your LMS.

Counseling Log
How will you log virtual counseling sessions?

Create a Google Form to log each meeting with students and families.

Use data gathered from meetings to plan additional counseling sessions. Where are your highest needs? How can you plan ahead with this information?

Follow-Up
Complete agreed upon activities

Stay connected with students and families!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shifting to a Virtual School Counseling Environment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Shifting to a virtual environment for school counseling can present its own challenges, from students not being required to meet with a school counselor, to trying not to overwhelm students and families by yet another person wanting to connect with them. Yet, this is a critical time for school counselors and related student support staff to engage with students.

# data[].attributes.body
Although I have never formally studied leadership, I have gained much experience with different types of leaders throughout my 46 years of life.  I have worked for micromanagers and dishonest leaders which has taught me to admit my mistakes as well as allow others to serve alongside me.  I have served under passive leaders who taught me to serve alongside and even for those I lead. I have also served under leaders that challenged me and pushed me to grow, leaders that supported me through difficult situations and were genuine in sharing their struggles.   Through these experiences, I believe that the best leaders multiply to talents and skills of those they lead.  They do this through servant leadership, building relationships, and leading by example.

According to the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs (2018), school counselors should lead through the execution of the school's comprehensive school counseling program, respond to the personal and social needs of different students, and the enhancement of learning environments that address students' diverse needs. These areas encompass a large majority of a campus’s daily management.  Therefore, our campus includes counselors within its leadership team.

Self-assessment is important to grow as a leader. Counselors use the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success to identify students' attitudes, knowledge, and skills and, therefore, provide appropriate interventions for student growth. Using the same model to assess leadership mindsets, abilities, and knowledge helps counselors to enhance competencies, resulting in a beneficial influence on the school climate, students, and the school community.

References:

American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Texas Counseling Association. (2018). The Texas model for comprehensive school counseling programs (5th). Austin.

# data[].attributes.body
Ziglar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"One of the most important trips a man can make is that involved in
meeting the other fellow half-way." Bruce Van Horn

As the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctoral degrees, the author of three autobiographies and the co-editor of 30 books in 29 languages, Frances Hesselbein is considered one of the country's greatest leaders. She is President and CEO of The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute. She began sharing her leadership lessons while working with the Drucker Foundation. The organization started with donated office space, a tiny budget, and a big mission: to share with non-profit organizations the sort of first-rate thinking for which management guru Peter Drucker is known. It has been said the most compelling quality found in her is her ability to sense people's needs on an emotional level and meet those needs. She has the capacity to link people with matching needs and skills and modestly calls it "brokering."

Hesselbein started as a volunteer troop leader with the Girl Scouts and later rose to CEO of the troubled organization of 680,000 people. She turned around declining membership and dramatically increased participation by minorities. She replaced a brittle hierarchy with one of the most vibrant organizations in or out of business. She says: "We changed everything about the Girl Scouts. We challenged every policy, practice, and procedure, but never its values, never its promises, never its mission."

Hesselbein's definition of leadership is what sets her apart. "My definition of leadership was very hard to arrive at, very painful. Leadership is not a basket of tricks or skills. It is the quality...character and courage...the leader. It's a matter of ethics and moral compass, the willingness to remain highly vulnerable. You can't talk about developing every person to his or her highest potential and then treat those people in ways that diminish and limit and contain. The only way we achieve high performance is through the work of others."

Apply that philosophy and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is known as America's Motivator. He authored 36 books and produced numerous life-changing programs. He will be remembered as a man who lived out his faith daily.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctoral degrees, the author of three autobiographies and the co-editor of 30 books in 29 languages, Frances Hesselbein is considered one of the country's greatest leaders. She is President and CEO of The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute. She began sharing her leadership lessons while working with the Drucker Foundation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in more detail and examine how you can grow as a leader.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness

If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses, and it means behaving with humility.

So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness?

Keep a journal. Journals help you improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-awareness.

2. Self-regulation

Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control.

This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also covers a leader's flexibility and commitment to personal accountability.

So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate?

Hold yourself accountable. If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those around you.

Practice being calm. The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the negative things you want to say, and then rip it up and throw it away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your team. What's more, this helps you challenge your reactions to ensure that they're fair!

3. Motivation

Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.

How can you improve your motivation?

Re-examine why you're doing your job. It's easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem. Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a new way. And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing. For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting.

4. Empathy

For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.

If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show them you care by being empathic.

How can you improve your empathy?

Respond to feelings. You ask your assistant to work late - again. And although he agrees, you can hear the disappointment in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him you appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're just as frustrated about working late. If possible, figure out a way for future late nights to be less of an issue (for example, give him Monday mornings off).

5. Social Skills

Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're experts at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project.

Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and make everyone else do the work: they set an example with their own behavior.

So, how can you build social skills?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership - Learning How to Be More Aware

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Relating to others is vital in today's workplace. Learn how to build your emotional intelligence (EI) with this article.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Do Some People Become Great Leaders?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why do certain people become great leaders? Leadership theories seek to answer this question and usually fit into one of eight basic types.

# data[].attributes.body
Ericka LaManna

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out this presentation designed by Ericka Lamanna.

# data[].attributes.body
Betty Barrera

# data[].attributes.body
Ceasar Marquez

# data[].attributes.body
American School Counselor Association (2021). ASCA Student Standards; Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2020). How do transformational leaders inspire and motivate followers?

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-transformational-leadership-2795313

Dodd, C. (2021, December 8). Shifting to a virtual school counseling environment. Learning Innovation Catalyst Blog. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://blog.linclearning.com/shifting-to-a-virtual-school-counseling-environment

Coleman, J. (2018, August 18). The Power of relational leadership. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncoleman/2018/04/16/the-power-of-relational-leadership/?sh=37dee063369d

Frick, D. M. (2004). Robert K. Greenleaf: A life of servant leadership. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Global Leadership Foundation. (2004). The global el test results. https://globalleadershipfoundation.com/deepening-understanding/emotional-intelligence/

Goleman, D. (2011). Leadership: The power of emotional intelligence; selected writings. Northampton, MA: More Than Sound.

Greenleaf, R. (2021). What is servant leadership? Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/

Greenleaf, R. K. (2016). The contemporary servant as leader. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

Imel, S., & National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education, C. O. (2001). Business-Industry Relationships and CTE. In Brief: Fast Facts for Policy and

Practice No. 12

Keith, K. M. (2015). The case for servant leadership. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

Mind Tools Content Team. (2022). Emotional Intelligence in Leadership. MindTools. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.mindtools.com/ax3ar6w/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership

National Rural Education Association. (2020). How career technical education can help close the rural/urban education gap. https://www.nrea.net/Blog_Postblogid=374011

Nayar, V. (2014, August 07). Three differences between managers and leaders. https://hbr.org/2013/08/tests-of-a-leadership-transiti

Osborne, R., & Bowler, K. C. (1998). The Bible. Zondervan Pub. House.

Riggio, R. (2014, January 22). What is authentic leadership? Do you have it?  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201401/what-is-authentic-leadership-do-you-have-it

Romanelli, F., Cain, J., Smith, K.M. (2006). Emotional intelligence as a predicator of academic and/or professional success. Am J Pharm Education, 70(3), 69. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1636947/

Spears, L. C. (2010). Servant leadership and Robert K. Greenleaf’s legacy. In Servant leadership (pp. 11-24). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Superville, D. R. (2020). Will rural education get a fresh look?

Education Week, 39 (19), 5.

Texas Counseling Association. (2018). The Texas model for comprehensive school counseling programs (5th). Austin.

Ziglar, Z. (2017, March 28). Leadership. Ziglar Inc. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://www.ziglar.com/articles/leadership/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Online: Kravis Leadership Institute website, Twitter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Authentic Leadership? Do You Have It?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are the four components of authentic leadership. Which do you possess?

# data[].attributes.headline
What is organizational leadership and why is it important?

# data[].attributes.subject
What is organizational leadership and why is it important?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is organizational leadership?

Organizational leadership is the ability to lead groups of individuals toward fulfilling an organization's mission.

It encompasses the following skills:

Understanding an organization's mission, in alignment with one's strengths.

Creating a strategic plan in line with that mission.

Implementing goals and holding teams accountable for accomplishing those goals within an established timeline, and in alignment with the strategic plan.

Foreseeing possible challenges in the road ahead.

Innovating to meet those challenges.

Pivoting effectively as circumstances change.

Remaining calm amidst uncertainty.

Communicating effectively.

Inspiring groups of individuals to do their best and work toward a unified purpose.

Addressing the concerns of internal stakeholders and the community at large.

Doing all of the above, with an eye on inclusivity, integrity, and authenticity.

The above skills are predicated on the leader's expertise, learned managerial skills, growth mindset, and developed emotional intelligence. They allow the leader to be aware of oneself, their impact on others, and the motivation of others, within the context of furthering the organization's singular mission.

Organizational leadership vs. traditional management

Organizational leadership encompasses a broader scope of responsibility than traditional management. Organizational leadership communicates the mission and vision, establishes the strategic plan, and inspires individuals to put forth their talents to fulfill the goals aligned with the strategic plan and, ultimately, the leader's vision.

Traditional management fulfills only part of that overall vision. The manager's role has been typically to communicate leadership's direction, set expectations, assign tasks, problem solve, and complete the goals assigned to that particular group.

Why is organizational leadership important?

Traditional management has been downplayed in recent years as "maintaining" the status quo. With innovation and disruption happening at record speed, management doing things as they've always been done is not enough. Organizational leadership is needed at every level to consider how current practices can be further improved or changed to meet future needs.

Organizational leadership is important because it:

1. Motivates team members. Team members respond in kind to the leader. They will be motivated to mirror the growth mindset for their teams and themselves and consider how they can personally contribute to the forward momentum of the organization as a whole.

2. Allows for a problem-solving and decision-making mindset. In a psychologically safe atmosphere where people are not afraid to speak up, great ideas can emerge. When a leader entrusts the individuals hired into their roles to develop solutions and make decisions, exponential growth is possible.

3. Promotes communication, ethics, inclusion, and respect. The highly emotionally intelligent organizational leader communicates in all ways that every employee's contributions are respected, as every role is vital to the organization's forward movement as a whole. The leader shares the organization's values and models the communication, ethics, inclusion, and respect expected of each individual.

4. Allows organizational leaders to remain goal-oriented. With individuals empowered to fulfill their roles and develop innovative solutions, the organizational leader may focus on the larger picture: moving the mission forward with an eye on navigating the challenges ahead.

Can you get an organizational leadership degree?

There are multiple degrees in organizational leadership, ranging from bachelor's to doctoral degrees. Here are a few examples:

BA, Organizational Leadership

BS, Business Leadership

Master of Science, Organizational Leadership and Learning

Executive Master of Leadership

Doctorate of Education, Organizational Change and Leadership

Ph.D., Organizational Leadership

However, there are plenty of other degrees that may serve a role in organizational leadership just as well, including

BS, Business Administration

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Juris Doctorate (JD)

Ph.D., in Management and Organization

Do you need an organizational leadership degree?

In a large organization, a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will most likely have an MBA from a prestigious university and a track record of working in finance and moving up in leadership roles. A Vice President of Human Resources will most likely have a JD to ensure the requisite knowledge of the multiple employment laws.

However, plenty of smaller organizations and levels of the organization would not require those same degrees. For instance, a Master of Science in Human Resources may suffice for a mid-tier leadership organizational role or a higher role in a smaller organization. Many experienced professionals pursue a part-time degree, certificate, or executive program to fill in any gaps as they move into leadership roles.

The options are limitless. The right degree depends on your experience and your career goals. When choosing your leadership development path, consider:

1. What size organization you'd like to join.

2. Which level you wish to lead (manager, director, division head, vice president, president, other).

3. The education levels in the type of company and role you'd like to join.

This information should help determine what education you will need to eventually lead an organization with the requisite knowledge and accumulated managerial and leadership skills.

Where can you get a job as an organizational leader?

Organizational leaders are needed in all sectors: business corporations, technology, health care, government, education, and non-profit organizations. Organizational leadership jobs can be found at various levels of an organization. However, the title will most likely not be "organizational leader."

Traditionally, future organizational leaders are first identified as "high potential" employees (HiPos), then proceed to organizational leadership roles with manager and director level titles. Higher-level organizational leadership jobs include titles like Dean, Provost, General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Vice President, and President. Roles to consider with potential for growth in organizational leadership include:

Human Resources Manager

Organization Manager

Training & Development Manager

Project Manager

Sales Representative

Some organizations have started to realize that the process and very notion of identifying a few select "HiPos" can be too narrow and backward-looking. Organizations need more, and more varied, leadership at all levels. Don't let the fact that you aren't selected into a high-potential group dissuade you from developing the attributes needed for organizational leadership.

How to develop yourself as an organizational leader?

Some skills are inherent, but great leaders know there is always room for further learning and development. For example:

Build your expertise through formal education, internal training opportunities, and mentorship programs.

Develop a reputation for taking the lead on teams and having an aptitude for leadership.

Develop a reputation for listening and building great, collaborative teams by bringing out the best in everyone.

Be clear about your desire to lead. An opportunity may not open right away, but It's important to stay top of mind in conversations around succession planning.

Create positive working relationships across the organization. Share useful information and resources.

Request informational interviews with people who are currently in the leadership roles you aspire to. Ask them what they wish they had known when they were in your shoes.

Develop relationships with mentors who can guide you based on their experience and expertise, and with sponsors who can connect you to those who will be vital to your leadership development.

Volunteer and be a part of an organization that gathers people from across the organization or multiple organizations. Say "yes" to being on the board and playing a leadership role.

Take opportunities for professional development, including a higher education degree that focuses on leadership skills and prepares you to step into an organizational leadership role.

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW

Stay up to date with new resources and insights.
Subscribe

Thank you for your interest in BetterUp.

Final thoughts on organizational leadership

There are many more tactical resources that may help you on your journey toward a role in organizational leadership. For instance, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains a database of occupations, the demand, and related salaries, and the O*NET Online database that details the skills requirements of various occupations: You may further explore the roles that interest you on the more user-friendly and visually pleasing RoadTrip Nation. Or, if you're unclear about the industry sector that best suits you, the Holland Code Career Test offers good exploration and self-reflection.

Continual development will not only help you achieve an organizational leadership job, but it can also help you continually improve your performance and impact.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is organizational leadership and why is it important? | BetterUp

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Organizational leadership is the ability to lead groups of individuals toward fulfilling an organization's mission. It encompasses the following skills: Understanding an organization's mission, in alignment with one's strengths. Creating a strategic plan in line with that mission. Implementing goals and holding teams accountable for accomplishing those goals within an established timeline, and in alignment with the strategic plan.

# data[].attributes.headline
With God on all sides: Leadership in a devout and diverse America Book Study

# data[].attributes.subject
With God on all sides: Leadership in a devout and diverse America Book Study

# data[].attributes.body
In my search for a book for this book study, I came across Douglas A. Hicks' With God on All Sides: Leadership in a Devout and Diverse America. I believe that, despite what people may say, there is less freedom in today's society. Because of the current political divide, I am always looking for ways to better understand and learn about other religions and cultures so that I can do my part to promote unity. This book addresses how citizens and leaders should cooperate to achieve a common objective, regardless of other people's beliefs, which is relevant to the current situation this country is facing.  The book, therefore, seemed to be the ideal resource for teaching me fresh ways to collaborate with others in my current position.

Summary

Many historical figures held the view that we should be able to coexist peacefully while still respecting one another's religious convictions. Sadly, religious differences and the inability to respect and acknowledge the beliefs of others still frequently cause division in America. This book explores historical figures' perspectives on the role of religion in everyday culture.

As a result of the diversity that makes America what it is, leaders need to be able to communicate and collaborate with people from different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. To achieve a shared objective, leaders should work to bring all people together, regardless of their background. Leaders have viewed religion's impact on America differently over the years. Many people think that America was shaped by Christianity, while others believe that the various religions that coexisted in America helped shape it into what it is today.  Because America has historically been seen as a Christian nation, other religions may not always be accepted by society. Due to this, many have advised religion stay separate from the workplace and schools. However, the debate of whether or not this separation infringes on freedom keeps resurfacing. Therefore, should American leaders' daily lives should be influenced by religion?

Although fostering a culture that reflects one's religion may be convenient, it is crucial to remember that leaders should be able to respect different religious viewpoints and encourage groups to interact with one another rather than stick to their own cultural or religious group. Leaders must also be able to respect various religious symbols and languages and use those as opportunities to advance a cohesive culture. By learning the fundamentals of various religions, America's leaders and citizens will build a more unified society.

The author argues that it is important for both citizens and leaders to make an effort to comprehend, educate themselves about, and respect the various American religions. By incorporating religion into daily life, one can put this into practice. The author also believes that a country shouldn't be founded on the practice of a single dominant religion.

Analysis and Critique

Overall, I concur with the author's opinions. I believe that the only way to heal this nation's current divisions and move it toward healing is to embrace religious diversity. I agree that in order to foster unity in America, Americans should be willing to learn about and respect one another's religious convictions.

I believe that the message of this book applies to all leadership positions, not just those in education. Although a leader's religious beliefs may be a significant core value, it is crucial that the leader be aware of, open to, and sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of those they lead. I firmly believe that embracing people from various backgrounds, cultures, and religions affords any group the ability to view solutions from a variety of perspectives. Despite being a devoted Christian, my school's principal commands the respect of every employee because he strives to promote harmony among our many differences and looks to each member to contribute their unique point of view.

As a school counselor, my current position requires that I constantly be sensitive to the opinions and backgrounds of my students. Students, in my opinion, respond well when a leader is receptive and eager to find out about their background. For instance, I recently spoke with a student who was a Muslim. She seemed genuinely reluctant to share any information at first, but after I started probing and made an effort to understand her faith, she became more forthcoming in counseling. Gaining a student's trust requires building relationships, and my interest in her faith was the first step in doing so.

I immediately considered relational leadership when thinking about how this book relates to leadership theories learned in this course. Coleman (2018) discusses how leaders work to forge connections while maintaining focus on their objectives. The work of the team is more productive because relational leaders put a strong emphasis on developing relationships. I feel that the leader is attempting to establish cordial and respectful relationships with the group by comprehending, learning, and encouraging religious acceptance.

I would suggest this book given the longstanding religious and political division in America. I agree with the author's general viewpoint that Americans should be able to understand one another's religious and cultural backgrounds in order to work toward a shared objective.

Conclusion

The dilemma of whether or not religion should be included and discussed in public life has existed for centuries. The author exhorts leaders to take the time to understand, encourage, and learn about various religious views in order to unite Americans, bearing in mind that America is thought of as a democratic nation that stands on the premise of freedom of speech. I think our founding fathers intended for us to use our freedom of speech to educate ourselves about other Americans. This book's overarching point is applicable to any leadership position, whether it be in politics or education. The knowledge I gained from this book will help me as I work to understand my coworkers' and students' backgrounds. This will enable me to demonstrate relational leadership, broaden my own horizons, and foster unity.

References:

Coleman, J. (2018, August 18). The power of Relational leadership. Forbes. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncoleman/2018/04/16/the-power-of-relational-leadership/

Hicks, D. (2009). With God on all sides: Leadership in a devout and diverse America. Oxford University Press.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
organizational health, teams, teamwork, teambuilding, online assessment, team assessment, team effectiveness, team survey, team field guide, executive team, offsite facilitation, executive consulting, Lencioni keynote speaker, team video

# data[].attributes.headline
MultipliersHow the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

# data[].attributes.subject
MultipliersHow the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We've all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders.

The first type, Diminishers, drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room.

The second type, Multipliers, are the leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them. When these leaders walk into a room, light bulbs go off over people's heads; ideas flow and problems get solved.

The world needs more Multipliers, especially now, when leaders are expected to do more with less.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We've all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders. The first type, Diminishers, drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room. The second type, Multipliers, are the leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Simple Truths of Leadership - Ken Blanchard Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Leadership legend and multi-million-copy bestselling author Ken Blanchard returns with a collection of his greatest wisdom, offering 52 essential leadership principles that are easy to implement and practice.

# data[].attributes.headline
Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders

# data[].attributes.subject
Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A young manager accosted me the other day. "I've been reading all about leadership, have implemented several ideas, and think I'm doing a good job at leading my team. How will I know when I've crossed over from being a manager to a leader?" he wanted to know.

I didn't have a ready answer and it's a complicated issue, so we decided to talk the next day. I thought long and hard, and came up with three tests that will help you decide if you've made the shift from managing people to leading them.

Counting value vs Creating value. You're probably counting value, not adding it, if you're managing people. Only managers count value; some even reduce value by disabling those who add value. If a diamond cutter is asked to report every 15 minutes how many stones he has cut, by distracting him, his boss is subtracting value.

By contrast, leaders focuses on creating value, saying: "I'd like you to handle A while I deal with B." He or she generates value over and above that which the team creates, and is as much a value-creator as his or her followers are. Leading by example and leading by enabling people are the hallmarks of action-based leadership.

Circles of influence vs Circles of power. Just as managers have subordinates and leaders have followers, managers create circles of power while leaders create circles of influence.

The quickest way to figure out which of the two you're doing is to count the number of people outside your reporting hierarchy who come to you for advice. The more that do, the more likely it is that you are perceived to be a leader.

Leading people vs Managing work. Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal. Leadership refers to an individual's ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success. Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control.

In India, M.K. Gandhi inspired millions of people to fight for their rights, and he walked shoulder to shoulder with them so India could achieve independence in 1947. His vision became everyone's dream and ensured that the country's push for independence was unstoppable. The world needs leaders like him who can think beyond problems, have a vision, and inspire people to convert challenges into opportunities, a step at a time.

I encouraged my colleague to put this theory to the test by inviting his team-mates for chats. When they stop discussing the tasks at hand - and talk about vision, purpose, and aspirations instead, that's when you will know you have become a leader.

Agree?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Three Differences Between Managers and Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A young manager accosted me the other day. "I've been reading all about leadership, have implemented several ideas, and think I'm doing a good job at leading my team. How will I know when I've crossed over from being a manager to a leader?" he wanted to know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At our Presidential Leadership Scholars weekend in College Station, Texas, John Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire and George H.W. Bush's chief of staff, recounted President Bush's first meeting with French president Francois Mitterrand upon assuming office in 1989. U.S. relations with France were strained, and while there was no immediate need for joint U.S. and French action at the time, President Bush knew that sometime he would need America's old ally and wanted to repair relations with its leader.

As recorded in Sununu's The Quiet Man, President Bush invited Mitterrand to his home in Kennebunkport, and over two days he began to win over the veteran statesman, developing a lasting friendship and professional partnership. This relationship, authentically cultivated, paid extraordinary dividends when President Bush was able to use his partnership with Mitterrand to negotiate financial assistance to Poland and Hungary in 1989 and the eventual reunification of East and West Germany.

This "relational" approach to leadership was core to President Bush's values and personality. And in the broader world, relational leadership-the longstanding and almost instinctive cultivation of close personal and professional relationships as an entre to building alliances and partnerships-is common. It's prevalent in politics, where relationships among legislators and community members often lead to compromise, and in business, where trust is such an essential component of partnership.

So, how is relational leadership cultivated?

It starts with a genuine interest in others. President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff and Transportation Secretary Andy Card said of the President, "President George H.W. Bush created personal relationships with everyone he could. That personal connection could become a strategic partnership when it needed to be. It was universal but sincere." I've seen the same in my career. When I was a new business analyst at McKinsey, for example, a senior director in the office took an interest in me and counseled me, even though I would never be useful to him. And most of us have benefited from peers or mentors who have befriended us and then aided us in the cultivation of our careers. These friendships aren't purely instrumental but authentic, sincere and driven by a genuine interest in others.

Relational leadership is further predicated on empathy-understanding others and meeting them where they are. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, President Bush was criticized for his subdued response. Some wanted the president to celebrate more visibly. But President Bush knew how tense a political moment the event was for Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, and sensitive to his relationship with Gorbachev and the fragility of the moment, the American president avoided the kind of gloating that may have made the situation more challenging for the general secretary to manage. This was an important gesture and one for which President Bush was misunderstood and criticized. But, as Sununu notes in The Quiet Man, it displayed empathy for Gorbachev and strengthened their partnership. Similarly, we're experiencing a heightened cultural appreciation now for former television host Fred Rogers based at least partially on his remarkable empathy. Mr. Rogers is the subject of a new documentary and a forthcoming feature film -and much of what makes him so unique and so compelling is the deep empathy he so regularly displayed for everyone he met, particularly children and the vulnerable. This empathy and kindness left even casual acquaintances transformed by their interactions with him and was a critical foundation of his leadership. It's similarly essential for each of us.

Further, this authentic and empathetic relational leadership is nurtured by small and large gestures of friendship. As I've written elsewhere, I once worked with a woman at a DC-area organization who was exceptional about spending time with even the most junior members of her organization and making them feel special. She took me to lunch and subsequently mailed me a book about which we'd spoken and a handwritten note-a kindness I appreciate to this day. Similarly, President Bush frequently wrote handwritten notes to friends and partners around the world. And while his subdued reaction to the fall of the Berlin wall was a grand gesture, he also made small gestures to reinforce relationships. Genuine interest in and excitement for others manifests in gestures and signals that you value and understand them.

Finally, while relational leadership is personal by nature, it can be powerfully embedded in the culture of an organization or team. Speaking of the Bush White House, Governor Sununu said, "President George H.W. Bush's commitment to collegiality was contagious. We all worked hard to maintain that." A culture that prioritizes authentic relationships starts at the top and cascades through an organization. In my time as a management consultant, I worked for several partners who prioritized collegiality among their teams-hosting kick-off dinners for us to get to know each other, planning team events to encourage bonding and insisting on respectful treatment of all colleagues-and that top-down leadership transformed the groups with which they worked.

Relational leadership can be incredibly successful, particularly when it is authentic, empathetic, reinforced through gestures of friendship and embedded in the culture of a team. It's not the only style of leadership, but can be powerful and personally fulfilling.
This article is part of a six-part series on leadership lessons from presidents that includes "Searching For The Right Leadership Style," "The Power Of Relational Leadership," "The Simple Power Of Connected Communication," "How A President Makes A Decision That Matters," "The Johnson Treatment: Pushing and Persuading Like LBJ" and "Life Is Worth Living In Three Dimensions."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At our Presidential Leadership Scholars weekend in College Station, Texas, John Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire and George H.W. Bush's chief of staff, recounted President Bush's first meeting with French president Francois Mitterrand upon assuming office in 1989. U.S. relations with France were strained, and while there was no immediate need for joint U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The ASAP® course catalog has been published and includes information on all our standards-based ASAP® course modules, as well as the ASAP® assessments, workbooks, case studies and academies. Download the ASAP Catalog today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ASAP® course catalog has been published and includes information on all our standards-based ASAP® course modules, as well as the ASAP® assessments, workbooks, case studies and academies. Download the ASAP Catalog today!

# data[].attributes.headline
Nancy Jo Humfeld: Great Example of Leadership

# data[].attributes.subject
Nancy Jo Humfeld: Great Example of Leadership

# data[].attributes.body
Thinking back on all of the leaders I have had the opportunity to follow and grow with as mentors, I have to say that my college professor and mentor, Nancy Jo Humbled has impacted my life and career the most. Although Dr. Humfeld held many accolades and could have served many places, she chose to devote her life to her students.  She set a high standard for those of us that worked with her and because we never doubted her compassion, we strove to achieve those standards.  Her students nicknamed her Ninja because she would show up out of nowhere and hold us accountable for our actions after giving us a big hug.  Ninja never set an expectation that she did not follow herself and she was always genuine and honest with us. Even when receiving criticism, her students and peers felt supported.  Even today, I still reach out to her for advice and comfort, not only for myself but also for my daughter whom she now mentors through her college career.  I believe Ninja’s secret to good leadership was building relationships, serving, and leading by example.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emotional Intelligence - Global Leadership Foundation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The capability of people to perform the work or job that they do falls into three areas: Technical skills - which includes technical expertise e.g. accountancy skills. Intellectual capability - which is commonly known as IQ, or cognitive abilities. Emotional capability - often referred to as emotional intelligence or EI.

# data[].attributes.headline
Emotional intelligence as a predicator of academic and/or professional success

# data[].attributes.subject
Emotional intelligence as a predicator of academic and/or professional success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Abstract

The concept of "emotional intelligence" has been extensively popularized in the lay press and corporate world as individuals purport the potential ability of emotional intelligence to predict various markers of success. Emotional intelligence (EI) most commonly incorporates concepts of emotional expression and regulation, self-awareness, and empathy. The concept has been criticized by some for its loose definition and parallels to personality traits. Additionally, several limitations to the instruments used to measure emotional intelligence have been identified. This review examines the foundations of the definitions of emotional intelligence as well as existing educational research involving emotional intelligence, both within the health professions and externally. Recommendations for future research and research potential are discussed.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, general intelligence, academic success, performance

INTRODUCTION

Most institutions of higher learning and professional disciplines must ascertain predictors of ability or success in order to make student admissions and assessment decisions. Traditional markers of ability and success, such as grade point average (GPA) and standardized test scores, have varying degrees of predictive value.1⁻5 Some institutions employ additional methods to select candidates for admission including but not limited to writing samples, personality inventories, on-site individual interviews, and group interviews.3,6 Colleges and schools of pharmacy are increasingly scrutinizing their student admissions processes for several reasons. A nationwide shortage of pharmacy practitioners has led to the proliferation of new colleges and schools of pharmacy and forced many existing institutions to increase class sizes.7 This turn of events has resulted in greater numbers of candidates for admission and the need for greater scrutiny in these processes as colleges compete for the same applicant pool.7

Paralleling these changes in the dynamics of the profession has been a growing consensus among faculty members that current pharmacy students often lack empathy and a commitment to pharmacy's professional standards.8⁻10 This phenomenon may be occurring for several reasons. With the introduction of several new colleges and schools of pharmacy as well as increasing class sizes, greater competition for the pool of qualified or best applicants can be expected. Colleges and schools may be admitting students who are less prepared or who do not fully understand the profession's role and responsibilities in health care. Alternatively, this perceived change in the profile of pharmacy students may be a result of an amalgam of causes, including cultural and/or societal changes that produce a different type of student.9,10 Today's students may be more concerned with the technical aspects of various professions and more emotionally immature compared to previous generations of learners.9,10 Regardless of the etiology of the changing profile of students, most colleges and schools are struggling to admit the most qualified applicants. Traditional admissions markers may predict successful academic performance but may not capture many intangible characteristics, behavioral variations, and traits that may be more critical to successful pharmacy practice and life in general.11 These intangible characteristics, such as empathy, social maturity, and self-awareness may be essential components required for connecting with and caring for patients. Many corporations have examined and to some extent used emotional intelligence as a measure of these intangible characteristics, which some speculate are better predictors of educational and occupational performance.12,13 Many proponents claim that emotional intelligence may be a distinguishing characteristic of great leaders.12 Recognizing that aspects of emotional intelligence are central to the provision of care, several health professions have experimented with strategies aimed at measuring and/or modifying emotional intelligence. No studies involving emotional intelligence have been reported among cohorts of pharmacy students or pharmacists. This paper will review the foundations and proposed definitions of the concept of emotional intelligence as well as discuss health professions and non-health profession trials and issues in this area.

Emotional Intelligence

The concept of EI has roots in discussions that began as early as the late 1930s, when researchers began describing a non-intellective intelligence sometimes described as "social intelligence."14 EI itself was first defined in the early 1990s by Salvoy and Meyers as "a type of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions."15 Salvoy and Meyers expanded their definition to include "the verbal and non-verbal appraisal and expression of emotion, the regulation of emotion in the self and others, and the utilization of emotional content in problem-solving." Conversely, general intelligence has been defined as a person's overall capacity for adaptation through effective cognition and information processing.16 In simpler terms, emotional intelligence might be defined as the set of skills people use to read, understand, and react effectively to emotional signals sent by others and oneself.15 These are skills such as empathy, problem-solving, optimism, and self-awareness which allow people to reflect, react to, and understand various environmental situations.

In assessing any form of intelligence, descriptive models must meet 3 standards.16 First, an intelligence should be capable of reflecting mental performance rather than preferred ways of behaving, a person's self-esteem, or non-intellectual attainments. New forms of intelligence should also meet prescribed correlational criteria. Lastly, intelligence should vary with experience and age. Meeting these criteria would establish emotional intelligence as a set of abilities rather than a preferred way of behaving or a personality trait. Some researchers claim that emotional intelligence meets all 3 of the aforementioned criteria.16,17 Several measures of emotional intelligence have been developed and the various criteria used by different measures may converge.16 In fulfilling the second criterion, some emotional intelligence measures have been validated and appear to have associations with empathy, warmth, and emotional openness.18 Associations with outside criteria such as scholastic aptitude tests also appear to exist. Finally, a reported difference in emotional intelligence scores between adolescents and adults provides support for meeting the final criterion for a new form of intelligence.18,19

Common criticisms of emotional intelligence and emotional intelligence measures are the multitude of qualities encompassed by the concept and its loosely defined nature.20⁻22 Some authors have described overlaps between emotional intelligence models and personality constructs. Therefore, careful analysis is required to determine what is and what is not emotional intelligence. This criticism extends to the instruments used to measure and assess emotional intelligence.22 Various instruments exist and are either self-report (ie, Bar-On EQ-I), ability-based (Multi-Factor Emotional Intelligence Scale [MEIS]), or a combination of these types. No single test is considered to be a gold standard for assessment. Ability-based assessments generally involve hands-on problem sets and require greater resource commitments in terms of cost and time; however, they are considered by most to be more accurate than self-report.22 All of these instruments have been criticized for deficiencies in validity. Strong validity data may be lacking in part due to the varied definitions of the concept of emotional intelligence itself.20⁻22 Without a stringent definition of emotional intelligence, each instrument may be measuring slightly different constructs. Some researchers feel that instruments designed to measure emotional intelligence may actually assess personality characteristics or emotional competence rather than emotional intelligence.20,22

Emotional Intelligence and Academics

Various investigators have engaged in research designed to examine and apply emotional intelligence constructs within academic, medical, and other learning settings (Table ​(Table1). 1 ). A Medline search was conducted to identify literature in this area as it pertains to the health sciences. Additional health science and non-health science research papers were then identified using references listed by primary authors of these studies. Since research in this area as it applies to education is limited, all identified studies were included in this review and the limitations identified.

Table 1

Lam et al investigated the notion that advanced emotional intelligence was correlated with greater individual performance, often above and beyond that associated with one's level of general intelligence.23 Researchers examined a cohort of 304 undergraduate students (152 men and 152 women) at a University in the western United States. Each participant completed the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS). The Shipley Institute of Living IQ Scale was used to determine general intelligence. Cognitive-based performance was assessed using 8 problems selected from a previously published logical reasoning test. A demographic questionnaire was also completed by each subject. The mean age of the cohort was 20.8 years and 88.5% of respondents were Caucasian. In order to demonstrate validity, the Shipley Scale IQ was shown to significantly and positively correlate with participant SAT scores. Researchers found that overall emotional intelligence contributed to individual cognitive-based performance over and above the level attributable to general intelligence, and this relationship was positive ( p < 0.01). The study findings are limited in that the use of specific cognitive-based assessments and generalizability may be hampered beyond the situational assessments employed in the study. Additionally, the generalizability of the study is limited by the degree of reliability of the MEIS and the homogeneity of the study sample.

Jaeger studied the effects of emotional intelligence instruction on academic performance among a convenience sample of 150 students in 5 sections of a general management graduate-level course in the northeastern United States.24 Additional data regarding the demographics of the study cohort was not provided by the authors. Students registering for 1 of the 5 sections of the course were blinded to the study goals. In 1 of the 5 sections (intervention group, n = 31), formal instruction regarding emotional intelligence was incorporated into the curriculum. The remaining 4 sections of the course did not have any formal or informal discussion of emotional intelligence. All students completed a preintervention and postintervention Bar-On E-Qi test, but only students in the intervention section were provided with the results and an analysis. Academic performance was measured by the final project course grade achieved by individual students. Final project grades were selected as the dependent measure since in the intervention group these grades would reflect only learning that occurred following the emotional intelligence instruction. Beginning level of knowledge was controlled for through the examination of GPAs for each subject. Teaching effectiveness was also controlled for by using mean scores from teaching evaluations submitted by students at the conclusion of the semester. Using the Games-Howell posthoc test, researchers found statistically significant increases in EQi scores among the students who completed the emotional intelligence curriculum compared with scores of students in the group that was not given the emotional intelligence curriculum, although scores in both groups improved. Mean EQi scores in the emotional intelligence curriculum group improved from 101.16 to 111.06 ( p < 0.001) and in the non-emotional intelligence curriculum group from 101.92 to 103.7 ( p < 0.01). Levels of emotional intelligence at the end of the study period were associated with academic performance, with a greater correlation existing in the emotional intelligence curriculum group. These findings led researchers to conclude that emotional intelligence could be taught or learned and is not a fixed parameter. Additionally, greater levels of emotional intelligence can be expected to correlate with academic performance even when controlling for traditional markers of intelligence, such as GPA. Limitations to this research include the small sample size (particularly of the emotional intelligence curriculum group) and inherent limits of the scales and instruments used in this trial.

Emotional Intelligence and the Health Professions

Health professions have been described as an amalgam of clinical competence and a service-orientation towards caring.25 Aptitudes for a service and caring orientation may be reflected by one's emotional intelligence. Some believe that recent proliferations in technological advances have resulted in an overemphasis on clinical competence and a disproportionate emphasis on service and caring within the health professions. This may certainly be true of pharmacy, in which in the last century modernization of medication production processes and dispensing systems has resulted in a reduced need for individualized compounding and pharmacist-patient interactions.7,26 Only recently has the profession begun to renew its commitment to patient-centered practice.27

All health care professions are rooted in a need to establish therapeutic relationships with patients. Within these relationships, the professional must respond to both the technical aspects of disease as well as associated emotional aspects. A specific example from pharmacy practice might involve recognition that adherence to treatment regimens can be improved not only with attention to a patient's technical needs but also to emotional requirements in fulfilling their therapeutic covenant. The capacity to develop this kind of a relationship (ie, patient-pharmacist) may be facilitated by one's emotional intelligence.25,28⁻29 If this theory holds true and with various managed care and other environmental constraints being placed upon practitioners from all health fields, it may become critical for students in the health professions to have emotional intelligence to provide high-quality patient care.

Recognizing the potential for significant contributions of emotional intelligence to patient outcomes, some suggest that it is important to expect, recognize, develop, and assess emotional intelligence within health professions education. Several researchers have examined various aspects of emotional intelligence and how the concept may relate to the health professions.30⁻35 These studies have taken multiple approaches with regard to the aspects of emotional intelligence examined as well as methods by which emotional intelligence is measured. Some researchers have examined correlates to the admissions process while others have attempted interventional trials aimed at improving emotional intelligence scores. The majority of studies have involved medical and dental students. While the concept of emotional intelligence has been discussed in the nursing literature, no formal trials have been published.25,28 Similarly, little is available in the pharmacy literature.

Some medical schools have experimented with various aspects of measuring and assessing emotional intelligence. As part of the Essentials of Clinical Medicine Course at the Medical College of Georgia, Wagner et al developed a module intended to increase medical students' understanding of emotional and interactional skills and to improve emotional intelligence.30 Students and faculty members who enrolled in the course completed the Bar-On E-Qi and subsequently participated in a lecture series on emotional intelligence. Baseline demographic data for study participants were not reported by the authors. Subsequently, each participant received their EQi scores. Faculty members shared and reflected upon their scores and students were encouraged to do the same. The goals of this process were to allow students to gain a self-awareness of their emotional intelligence strengths and weaknesses and to improve their patient-physician interactions and to provide a more formalized approach to improving patient-physician interactions." No formal statistical or outcome data were collected by the investigator in this pilot study.

Elam et al sought to gather information related to emotional intelligence from entering medical students at the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Medicine.31 Two existing scales, the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) and the Davis' Interpersonal Reactivity Index (DIRI), were used to measure emotional intelligence. The TMMS is designed to assess individual differences in abilities to recognize, discriminate, and regulate moods and emotions, while the DIRI is a measure of empathy. Both instruments were administered to the 2000 entering class of the UK College of Medicine (n = 101), with a participation rate of 90%. No background information regarding the study participants was reported. Cronbach alpha assessment demonstrated internal consistency similar to previously published results. The researchers intend to use the garnered information to prospectively monitor the development of communication and interpersonal skills among the cohort. Additionally, students' emotional intelligence scores at admission will be compared to results from standardized patients' assessments of medical interviewing and interaction. The final goal of this project is to identify the characteristics in individuals that determine emotional intelligence and which ultimately result in students becoming more effective physicians. The results of this secondary analysis have not yet been published.

In an effort to identify valid measurements that could be applied within a health professions framework, some researchers have developed and piloted emotional intelligence assessment instruments. Carrothers et al developed and piloted a trial of an emotional intelligence assessment instrument intended for applicants at 3 consortium medical schools.32 Researchers developed a 34-item semantic differential instrument that was intended to measure emotional intelligence constructs. The instrument was based on extensive reviews of the emotional intelligence literature and repeated focus groups involving the admissions committees of the medical schools involved in the project. Information from the pilot test of the emotional intelligence instrument was not used for making any decisions with regard to admission. Using Pearson correlation coefficients, applicant scores on traditional admissions criteria (eg, GPA, interview scores, Aptitude College Test [ACT] scores) were compared with emotional intelligence instrument scores. The instrument was pilot tested, and complete data for analysis were available for 147 applicants. The applicant pool was composed of 83 women and 64 men. ACT score (r2 = 0.084) and GPA (r2 = 0.138) were not well correlated with the emotional intelligence instrument; however, interview assessment scores were correlated with emotional intelligence (r ² = 0.761). In a sub-analysis of emotional intelligence scores categorized by medical school, those applicants who had matriculated from the institution considered to have the strongest requirements in terms of the arts and humanities had the highest overall emotional intelligence scores (mean overall emotional intelligence score of 186.5 versus 177.3 and 182.7). Additionally, variability in emotional intelligence scores at this institution was lower in comparison to the other institutions. Lastly, the authors compared emotional intelligence scores by applicant gender. The presumption in this testing was that women were more competent in interpersonal skills and thus should present with higher emotional intelligence scores. Researchers found that overall emotional intelligence scores were higher among women than men (189.2 vs.176.5). Furthermore, scores for each dimension of the instrument were higher among women with less variance. The authors concluded that based on this pilot study, the emotional intelligence instrument that was developed by the consortium demonstrated the ability to measure attributes that indicate desirable personal and interpersonal skills in medical school applicants. Additionally, emotional intelligence seemed related to educational programs that included a strong emphasis on social sciences and the humanities. This study was limited in that complete admissions data were not available for all applicants, thus the sample size was not completely inclusive. These data are also restricted in that the instrument cannot be used to predict actual medical school performance unless a follow-up analysis is performed.

Even if the importance of emotional intelligence among health professions applicants is validated and ideal assessment instruments are identified, outcome data will need to correlate emotional intelligence capacity and actual outcomes. Outcomes might be defined in one of several ways, including but not limited to patient satisfaction. Wagner et al investigated the relationship between patient satisfaction and physicians' emotional intelligence scores as assessed using the Bar-On EQi instrument.33 Fourteen family medicine faculty members and 16 family medicine residents at a southern US medical school completed the Bar-On EQi. Patients were recruited at the conclusion of an office visit to complete an 11-item patient satisfaction survey. Two scores were derived from the satisfaction survey: the "total satisfaction sum" and the "relationship satisfaction score." The total satisfaction score reflected patients' impressions of their overall health care, while the relationship score was more specific for services provided by their individual physician. Spearman rank order correlation coefficients and t tests were used to examine the relationship between EQi composite and subscale scores and patient satisfaction. The average age of the physician participants was 37.7 years and the average number of years in practice since receiving their medical degree was 8.1 years. The subjects were 232 ambulatory patients, of whom 24% were male and 76% female. Physicians were separated into 2 groups: those with 100% patient-reported relationship satisfaction (n = 11) and those with less than 100% satisfaction (n = 19). When correlating relationship satisfaction scores and Bar-On EQi scores, researchers found that only one EQi subscale (that of the physician's level of "happiness") had a weak correlation with patients' higher satisfaction. The "happiness" subscale most closely correlated with physician mood. This was not a surprising finding given that a physician's mood will often be transmitted to patients. This study was limited by the constructs used to define patient satisfaction (eg, 100% satisfaction) and the study's small sample size, which could only detect large effects. Despite this limitation, the researchers concluded that a health care professional's satisfaction with his/her own life and his/her personal happiness is a component in maximizing a patient's satisfaction with health care services.

Lastly, some investigators have examined relationships between emotional intelligence and the capacity to cope with stress. Since health professions education and training is associated with strenuous academic and non-academic demands and stressors, increased emotional intelligence might result in better stress coping mechanisms and thereby augment performance and/or lifestyle. Using a cross-sectional survey design, Pau et al investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and perceived stress among a cohort of dental undergraduates.34 Emotional intelligence was assessed using a validated instrument developed by Schuette et al, while perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scales (PSS-10).35 T tests were used to compare mean scores. Two hundred and thirteen respondents completed the survey instrument for a response rate of 70%. Forty-eight percent of respondents were male and the mean age of the total sample was 21.3 years. Mean emotional intelligence and perceived stress scores were 117.5 (SD = 14.9) and 17.7 (SD = 6.5), respectively. The mean population norms for the PSS-10 scale is 13.0. Internal consistency (as determined by Cronbach's alpha assessment) for the emotional intelligence scale and PSS-10 were 0.9 and 0.86, respectively. Mean emotional intelligence scores of the women were significantly higher than those of the men (p < 0.05). Mean perceived stress scores were higher in students over 21 years of age ( p < 0.001), female students (p < 0.05), and those in higher years of school ( p < 0.001). Correlational analysis demonstrated that emotional intelligence scale scores were inversely related to PSS-10 scores. Researchers concluded that dental students with greater degrees of emotional intelligence may be more adept at coping and dealing with academic and non-academic stressful situations, and that reducing perceived stress may improve academic performance as well as patient satisfaction. The authors emphasize that modalities for improving emotional intelligence of dental students might also augment stress coping mechanisms. This study was limited by its cross-sectional design, which involved a convenience sample of a single academic institution.

In a follow-up report, Pau et al examined how dental undergraduates with differing levels of emotional intelligence dealt with stress.35 Researchers selected a population of undergraduate dental students from a 5-year program and used the emotional intelligence scale by Schuette et al to determine emotional intelligence scores.19 Subjects were then stratified into high and low emotional intelligence score groups using median scores as breakpoints. From each emotional intelligence group in each academic year, 1 male and 1 female student were randomly selected to comprise a cohort of 10 subjects that represented all 5 years of the dental program. Each subject then underwent focused, in-depth, face-to-face interviews with blinded interviewers for the purposes of identifying predictors and coping mechanisms related to stress for each student. Each interview was then systematically transcribed and qualitatively analyzed. Four sets of coping strategies adopted at varying degrees of emotional intelligence were identified. Students with high emotional intelligence were more likely to adopt reflection and appraisal, social and intrapersonal, and organization and time-management skills. Students with low emotional intelligence were more likely to engage in health damaging behaviors (eg, procrastinating, social withdrawal, use of tobacco products). The study authors concluded that future research was needed to establish whether modalities aimed at enhancing emotional intelligence in dental students would result in better stress coping skills. This study was limited by its small sample size and the qualitative nature of the data and analysis.

DISCUSSION

While the corporate world seems to have embraced the concept of emotional intelligence as a predictor of worker success, this is less true within the health professions where research is lacking and a greater level of scrutiny can be expected. This is especially evident in pharmacy. A more natural relationship which predicts success might exist within the health professions, where if accepted as a construct, emotional intelligence may prove to be critical for the development of productive therapeutic pharmacist-patient relationships.

In order for pharmacists and pharmacy students to successfully provide care of any type, they must cultivate patient interactions that engender trust, empathy, and self-awareness. Additionally, the dynamic nature of the pharmacy profession, which in recent years has undergone both educational and professional paradigm shifts, may be best served by students and practitioners who can manage emotions, adapt to change, and manipulate stressful environments and situations. Whether emotional intelligence is a predictor of these skill sets has not been well described. Lack of research in this area by pharmacy and other health professions may be for one of several reasons. Most health professions have a long-standing history of relying upon traditional markers of intelligence to both predict successful completion of a degree program and to determine individual mastery of topics. Traditional measures have been used with relative reliability in predicting technical success for several years.1⁻5 Often the use of newer, less traditional measures is met with resistance and questions of reliability and other limitations.

Potential researchers in this area should have a critical understanding of the underpinnings of the emotional intelligence debate. Many psychologists and intelligence experts fail to find differences between emotional intelligence and personality constructs and often identify the loosely defined nature of emotional intelligence as a major impediment to acceptance of the concept.21⁻23 Others support the notion that existing data and research in this area are sufficiently robust to justify acceptance of emotional intelligence or at a minimum support of ongoing research in this area.15⁻18 Both groups recognize the need to embrace a single definition and the need for better assessment instruments and measures.

Most instruments designed to measure emotional intelligence are either self-report scales or performance-based evaluations involving the completion of observed problem sets.19,22 Performance-based assessments may provide better reliability since they assess demonstrated ability-based skills rather than self-reports; however, they are generally more costly and time consuming to perform. Additionally, performance-based tests are hindered by the objectivity in selecting what are considered correct responses to the problem sets posed to the test subjects. Self-report scales must be understandable to the test subject and are prone to response biases such as social desirability effects which may result in exaggerated responses. Self-report reliability may be increased by combining self-responses with peer assessments.22 However, this introduces several research issues as well as the need for increased resources. All assessment instruments may be hindered by the loosely defined nature of emotional intelligence which makes concrete criteria for measurements difficult to define. Nevertheless, several instruments are available and researchers should recognize the limitations of both self-report and performance-based measures and the specific instrument from either category that is selected for use. Table ​Table2 2 lists some of the more commonly cited and available instruments for assessing emotional intelligence. Additionally, research examining emotional intelligence should attempt to exclude as many confounders as possible. As a minimum, some have suggested that any research involving measurement of emotional intelligence should also include an analysis of academic success markers, personality (eg, the Big Five test), and technical knowledge.

Table 2

CONCLUSION

Several potential implications regarding emotional intelligence exist for all health professions including pharmacy. Various studies examining emotional intelligence in other health professions have been conducted. No studies have examined the concept of emotional intelligence within the framework of pharmacy or pharmacy education. Given the current external environment of the profession, which includes pressures to increase student enrollment, the advent of several new colleges and schools of pharmacy, and a professional recommitment to patient-centered practice, the prospect of using emotional intelligence measures as a predictor of success or capacity to provide care is attractive. Some information can be garnered from educational research conducted by colleagues in medical and dental fields. However, prior to advocating research in this area, several issues must be addressed, including establishing a clear definition of emotional intelligence and assessing the validity and reliability of existing measurement instruments. If these limitations to studying emotional intelligence are eventually addressed, a new marker or modifiable factor that will allow colleges and schools of pharmacy to graduate students, and subsequently practitioners, with the skills and desire to engage in meaningful therapeutic relationships might be identified.

REFERENCES

12. Goleman D. Working With Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantom Books; 1998. [ Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education are provided here courtesy of American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emotional Intelligence as a Predictor of Academic and/or Professional Success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The concept of "emotional intelligence" has been extensively popularized in the lay press and corporate world as individuals purport the potential ability of emotional intelligence to predict various markers of success. Emotional intelligence (EI) most commonly incorporates concepts of emotional expression and regulation, self-awareness, and empathy.

# data[].attributes.headline
Leadership: The power of emotional intelligence

# data[].attributes.subject
Leadership: The power of emotional intelligence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In some jobs, being in touch with emotions is essential. In others, it seems to be a detriment. And like any skill, being able to read people can be used for good or evil.

Some of the greatest moments in human history were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King, Jr. presented his dream, he chose language that would stir the hearts of his audience. "Instead of honoring this sacred obligation" to liberty, King thundered, "America has given the Negro people a bad check." He promised that a land "sweltering with the heat of oppression" could be "transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice," and envisioned a future in which "on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

Delivering this electrifying message required emotional intelligence-the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions. Dr. King demonstrated remarkable skill in managing his own emotions and in sparking emotions that moved his audience to action. As his speechwriter Clarence Jones reflected, King delivered "a perfectly balanced outcry of reason and emotion, of anger and hope. His tone of pained indignation matched that note for note."
Emotional intelligence is important, but the unbridled enthusiasm has obscured a dark side.
Recognizing the power of emotions, another one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century spent years studying the emotional effects of his body language. Practicing his hand gestures and analyzing images of his movements allowed him to become "an absolutely spellbinding public speaker," says the historian Roger Moorhouse-"it was something he worked very hard on." His name was Adolf Hitler.

Since the 1995 publication of Daniel Goleman's bestseller, emotional intelligence has been touted by leaders, policymakers, and educators as the solution to a wide range of social problems. If we can teach our children to manage emotions, the argument goes, we'll have less bullying and more cooperation. If we can cultivate emotional intelligence among leaders and doctors, we'll have more caring workplaces and more compassionate healthcare. As a result, emotional intelligence is now taught widely in secondary schools, business schools, and medical schools.

Emotional intelligence is important, but the unbridled enthusiasm has obscured a dark side. New evidence shows that when people hone their emotional skills, they become better at manipulating others. When you're good at controlling your own emotions, you can disguise your true feelings. When you know what others are feeling, you can tug at their heartstrings and motivate them to act against their own best interests.

Social scientists have begun to document this dark side of emotional intelligence. In emerging research led by University of Cambridge professor Jochen Menges, when a leader gave an inspiring speech filled with emotion, the audience was less likely to scrutinize the message and remembered less of the content. Ironically, audience members were so moved by the speech that they claimed to recall more of it.

The authors call this the awestruck effect, but it might just as easily be described as the dumbstruck effect. One observer reflected that Hitler's persuasive impact came from his ability to strategically express emotions-he would "tear open his heart"-and these emotions affected his followers to the point that they would "stop thinking critically and just emote."
"Whenever we wanted to persuade our staff to support a particular project we always tried to break their hearts."
Leaders who master emotions can rob us of our capacities to reason. If their values are out of step with our own, the results can be devastating. New evidence suggests that when people have self-serving motives, emotional intelligence becomes a weapon for manipulating others. In a study led by the University of Toronto psychologist Stéphane Côté, university employees filled out a survey about their Machiavellian tendencies, and took a test measuring their knowledge about effective strategies for managing emotions. Then, Cote's team assessed how often the employees deliberately undermined their colleagues. The employees who engaged in the most harmful behaviors were Machiavellians with high emotional intelligence. They used their emotional skills to demean and embarrass their peers for personal gain. In one computer company studied by Tel-Aviv University professor Gideon Kunda, a manager admitted to telling a colleague "how excited we all are with what he is doing," but at the same time, "distancing my organization from the project," so "when it blows up," the company's founder would blame the colleague.

Shining a light on this dark side of emotional intelligence is one mission of a research team led by University College London professor Martin Kilduff. According to these experts, emotional intelligence helps people disguise one set of emotions while expressing another for personal gain. Emotionally intelligent people "intentionally shape their emotions to fabricate favorable impressions of themselves," Professor Kilduff's team writes. "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."

Of course, people aren't always using emotional intelligence for nefarious ends. More often than not, emotional skills are simply instrumental tools for goal accomplishment. In a study of emotions at the Body Shop, a research team led by Stanford professor Joanne Martin discovered that founder Anita Roddick leveraged emotions to inspire her employees to fundraise for charity. As Roddick explained, "Whenever we wanted to persuade our staff to support a particular project we always tried to break their hearts." However, Roddick also encouraged employees to be strategic in the timing of their emotion expressions. In one case, after noticing that an employee often "breaks down in tears with frustration," Roddick said it was acceptable to cry, but "I told her it has to be used. I said, 'Here, cry at this point in the ... meeting." When viewing Roddick as an exemplar of an emotionally intelligent leader, it becomes clear that there's a fine line between motivation and manipulation. Walking that tightrope is no easy task.
In jobs that required extensive attention to emotions, higher emotional intelligence translated into better performance. In jobs that involved fewer emotional demands, the results reversed.
In settings where emotions aren't running high, emotional intelligence may have hidden costs. Recently, psychologists Dana Joseph of the University of Central Florida and Daniel Newman of the University of Illinois comprehensively analyzed every study that has ever examined the link between emotional intelligence and job performance. Across hundreds of studies of thousands of employees in 191 different jobs, emotional intelligence wasn't consistently linked with better performance. In jobs that required extensive attention to emotions, higher emotional intelligence translated into better performance. Salespeople, real-estate agents, call-center representatives, and counselors all excelled at their jobs when they knew how to read and regulate emotions-they were able to deal more effectively with stressful situations and provide service with a smile.

However, in jobs that involved fewer emotional demands, the results reversed. The more emotionally intelligent employees were, the lower their job performance. For mechanics, scientists, and accountants, emotional intelligence was a liability rather than an asset. Although more research is needed to unpack these results, one promising explanation is that these employees were paying attention to emotions when they should have been focusing on their tasks. If your job is to analyze data or repair cars, it can be quite distracting to read the facial expressions, vocal tones, and body languages of the people around you. In suggesting that emotional intelligence is critical in the workplace, perhaps we've put the cart before the horse.

Instead of assuming that emotional intelligence is always useful, we need to think more carefully about where and when it matters. In a recent study at a healthcare company, I asked employees to complete a test about managing and regulating emotions, and then asked managers to evaluate how much time employees spent helping their colleagues and customers. There was no relationship whatsoever between emotional intelligence and helping: Helping is driven by our motivations and values, not by our abilities to understand and manage emotions. However, emotional intelligence was consequential when examining a different behavior: challenging the status quo by speaking up with ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Emotionally intelligent employees spoke up more often and more effectively. When colleagues were treated unjustly, they felt the righteous indignation to speak up, but were able to keep their anger in check and reason with their colleagues. When they went out on a limb to advocate for gender equity, emotional intelligence helped them keep their fear at bay. When they brought ideas for innovation to senior leaders, their ability to express enthusiasm helped them avoid threatening leaders. On a much smaller scale, they were able to follow Martin Luther King Jr.'s lead in rocking the boat while keeping it steady.

More than two decades have passed since psychologists Peter Salovey at Yale and John Mayer at the University of New Hampshire introduced the concept of emotional intelligence in 1990. Why has it taken us so long to develop a more nuanced view? After Daniel Goleman popularized the idea in 1995, many researchers-perhaps awestruck themselves by enthusiasm for the concept of emotional intelligence-proceeded to conduct studies that were fatally flawed. As University of Lausanne professor John Antonakis observed, "practice and voodoo science is running way ahead of rigorous research."

One of the most persistent problems was the use of self-report measures, which asked employees to rate their own emotional abilities on items like "I can tell how people are feeling even if they never tell me" and "I am generally very good at calming someone down when he or she is upset." Abilities cannot be accurately measured with self-reports. As emotion experts Sigal Barsade of Wharton and Donald Gibson of Fairfield University lament, "One might compare this approach to assessing mathematical skills by asking respondents, 'How good are you at solving algebraic equations?' rather than asking the person to actually solve an algebraic equation."

Thanks to more rigorous research methods, there is growing recognition that emotional intelligence-like any skill-can be used for good or evil. So if we're going to teach emotional intelligence in schools and develop it at work, we need to consider the values that go along with it and where it's actually useful. As Professor Kilduff and colleagues put it, it is high time that emotional intelligence is "pried away from its association with desirable moral qualities."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In some jobs, being in touch with emotions is essential. In others, it seems to be a detriment. And like any skill, being able to read people can be used for good or evil. Some of the greatest moments in human history were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King, Jr.