What do you look for in a candidate? Experience? Technical skills? These skills may certainly be desired, but a recent study of over 2,500 hiring managers and human resource professionals demonstrated that emotional intelligence is topping the credentials chart. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand your own emotions and that of others, to sense emotional situations in order to build effective relationships and to be able to control one’s emotions. In today’s fast-changing and somewhat troubling times, this appears to be a highly-valued skill.

Dr. Ron Jenson, a well-known US-based executive coach and leadership author suggests that, in his view, there are four key emotional intelligence elements that need to be examined. For instance, a candidate with a high level of dominance likes to lead and be in charge; they tend to be visionary and can see the big picture. As well, they are all about business, determining strategic direction and how to reach their goal. As well, a leader who projects a high level of extroversion is typically very persuasive, is a good communicator and outgoing with an ability to persuade and inspire people toward a goal.

A candidate who exhibits a higher level of the patience factor typically operates from a more supportive role. They are usually more comfortable with a slower pace and focus more on immediate rather than future tasks. A candidate with a lower level of patience needs to work in a fast paced organization.

Finally, candidates also exhibit either a higher or lower level of conformity. Individuals assessed with a lower level are very independent, focus on the big picture and prefer to delegate the details. Those with higher levels of conformity enjoy a work environment where there is clear instruction and solid structure and systems.

However, Dr. Jenson also suggests there are other life principles that are equally as important in ensuring one’s ability to control emotions, develop relationships and be sensitive to others. In fact, he has developed a set of ten life principles that create personal power and enable individuals to demonstrate and practice “authentic” leadership. These principles have been grouped into three themes including attitudes, beliefs and commitments.

In Dr. Jenson’s view, leaders must be able to make things happen. They must be proactive and take initiative to make a difference. Good leaders must focus on the things they can control such as having the right attitude - one that helps move projects forward. They need to be disciplined and develop work habits as well as personal life habits so that they are consciously in control of their thoughts and behaviour.

As well, Dr. Jenson believes that successful leaders need to have strong personal values and beliefs that guide them in their daily work. These values enable them to make the tough decisions required in today’s challenging times. Leaders need to understand their mission in life and stay focused on their goals and objectives.

Finally, Dr. Jenson suggests that leaders need to be committed to developing trust and developing others. They need to invite participation and to sometimes yield to the ideas of others. Finally, they need to keep their eyes sharply focused on the business and to realign their goals vigorously when required.

Dr. Jenson is adamant in saying these leadership characteristics are so important that they will make or break the success of a leader. One of the challenges however, is that these character traits are not easily identified through a traditional hiring interview. To overcome this challenge, Dr. Jenson designed an assessment tool called the “MERIT PROFILE” that identifies the strengths and challenges of leadership candidates. When you realize that a large percentage of senior executives fail in their jobs within the first eighteen months, taking time to apply a candidate assessment tool such as the MERIT PROFILE to measure a candidate’s character is worth every effort. 

Source: Seventy-One Percent of Employers Say They Value Emotional Intelligence over IQ, Career Builder.com; August, 2011; Achieving Authentic Success, Dr. Ron Jenson, 2008.