Importance of Emotional Intelligence for IT Leaders

I started reading an IT leadership book this week.  This book uses a fictitious case study to highlight many issues that arise for IT leaders.  What I like about this book is that it does not focus on the technical issues but rather the strategic planning, execution, and relationship missteps that frequently occur in the IT department.  IT professionals are very good at identifying and dealing with technical issues but may mishandle the people issues along the way.  The people-side of leadership is important and one that cannot be stressed enough.

Today I came across an article in the PM Network magazine (see reference below) about the importance of emotional intelligence (EI).  EI is an individual's ability to recognize and respond to emotions; personal emotions or the emotions of others.  This EI characteristic is needed to effectively manage personal interactions.  In IT we often collaborate with professionals from across the organization and need to have good relationships in order to accomplish our goals.  In order to be effective in these relationships, among other skills, we need to exhibit a high degree of EI.

The article's author noted three key personal EI attributes to look for when hiring potential project managers.  These attributes are:

• Self-restraint: the ability to control one's own negative feelings in a calm and sensible manner
• Empathy: the ability to sense other's emotions and reactions
• Communication Skills: the ability to build and foster personal and professional relationships

Although the article was written specifically for project managers it applies to anyone in leadership roles or individuals working in a team environment.  This emotional sensitivity is particularly beneficial for IT leaders since we often work in change initiatives where negative emotions are frequently experienced.

Reference:

Alkhatib, S. (2013). Intangible assets. PM Network, 27(11), 24.