The term Emotional Intelligence (EQ or EI) was coined in 1990 in a research paper by two psychology professors, John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey. It was popularised by Rutgers psychologist Dan Goleman in his 1996 book of the same name and later in 1998, in what has become one of the Harvard Business Review’s most enduring articles, “What Makes a Leader”. In the HBR article, Goleman states unequivocally:
“The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence. It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant. They do matter, but…they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions. My research, along with other recent studies, clearly shows that emotional intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership. Without it, a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but (they) still won’t make a great leader”.
