What Makes a Leader

www.hbr.org

BEST

IQ and technical skills are

important, but emotional

intelligence is the sine qua

non of leadership.

OF

HBR 1998

What Makes a Leader?

by Daniel Goleman

Reprint R0401H

IQ and technical skills are important, but emotional intelligence is the

sine qua non of leadership.

BEST OF HBR 1998

What Makes a Leader?

by Daniel Goleman

COPYRIGHT © 2003 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

It was Daniel Goleman who first brought the

term “emotional intelligence” to a wide audience

with his 1995 book of that name, and it was Goleman who first applied the concept to business with

his 1998 HBR article, reprinted here. In his research

at nearly 200 large, global companies, Goleman

found that while the qualities traditionally associated with leadership—such as intelligence, toughness, determination, and vision—are required for

success, they are insufficient. Truly effective leaders

are also distinguished by a high degree of emotional

intelligence, which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill.

These qualities may sound “soft” and unbusinesslike, but Goleman found direct ties between

emotional intelligence and measurable business results. While emotional intelligence’s relevance to

business has continued to spark debate over the

past six years, Goleman’s article remains the definitive reference on the subject, with a description of

each component of emotional intelligence and a detailed discussion of how to recognize it in potential

leaders, how and why it connects to performance,

and how it can be learned.

harvard business review • january 2004

Every businessperson knows a story about a

highly intelligent, highly skilled executive

who was promoted into a leadership position

only to fail at the job. And they also know a

story about someone with solid—but not extraordinary—intellectual abilities and technical skills who was promoted...