Course textbooks, readings, and discussions clearly highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the personal and professional domains. In particular, Bradberry and Greaves (2009) have devoted a specific part of their book to the analysis of EQ impact. The part is titled “The Impact of EQ” (found in Chapter 2, pages 19-22) and comments on the connection between EQ and individuals’ professional success (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). The authors highlight that employees with high EQ scores have other important skills, including time management and communication, perform better, and earn higher salaries (Bradberry & Greaves, 2009). That is why it is interesting for me to know what other advantages EQ can offer to professionals. For that purpose, it is suitable to look at the scholarly article by Alzoubi and Aziz (2021) commenting on the connection between EQ and strategic decision-making.
EQ is equally important for ordinary employees, supervisors, and top management. Alzoubi and Aziz (2021) focus on the latter group and investigate whether it is possible to find any connection between EQ scores and the quality of strategic decisions. The authors found 213 managers and asked them to complete questionnaires to collect the required data for further analysis (Alzoubi & Aziz, 2021). As the obtained information was analyzed, the researchers identified a positive and strong relationship between managers’ strategic decisions and their EQ scores (Alzoubi & Aziz, 2021). The rationale behind this conclusion is that EQ gives managers a better understanding of their organization. In addition, high self-awareness and self-management scores ensure that executives know and control their emotions, which minimizes the possibility of making impulsive or wrong decisions. In other words, if an organization is governed by a manager with high EQ, this business is likely to succeed strategically.
Article findings are connected to the selected section from the textbook because the two sources complement each other. On the one hand, Bradberry and Greaves (2009) indicate that high EQ is beneficial for employees because they can improve their performance and earn more money. On the other hand, Alzoubi and Aziz (2021) add that it is beneficial for organizations when high EQ scores are found among executives. The latter can make the right decisions to promote the further growth and development of a business.
I personally think that the article’s findings are trustworthy and valuable. The selected source and the textbook clearly and explicitly indicate that everyone should develop their EQ skills and competencies. It was not surprising for me to know that managers with higher EQ could make better strategic decisions. I understand that EQ provides people with a better understanding of themselves and others, which allows for making reasoned and appropriate decisions. As a result, I am ready to invest my time and effort in improving my EQ to succeed professionally and bring positive outcomes to my organization.
In conclusion, the selected scholarly article contributes to a better understanding of why EQ is important. In addition to providing people with personal benefits, this phenomenon is positive for entire organizations when their executives impress with high EQ scores. This information denotes that when managers have developed EQ, they can comprehend and control their emotions, which can prevent them from making wrong decisions. That is why ordinary employees and top executives are encouraged to improve their EQ skills and competencies to succeed personally and professionally.
References
Alzoubi, H. M., & Aziz, R. (2021). Does emotional intelligence contribute to quality of strategic decisions? The mediating role of open innovation. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(2), 130. Web.
Bradberry, T., & Greaves, J. (2009). Emotional intelligence 2.0. TalentSmart.