By: Bryan L. Martin, DO
Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
Director, Allergy & Immunology Fellowship Program
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)
Recent works have shed light on the influence of Emotional Intelligence on effective leadership. There are many who argue that emotional intelligence is fixed; some are born with a great deal of it, others very little. These people may say things like “that’s just how I am,” or “I always react that way.” These phrases provide an excuse for not facing one’s own insecurities and moving forward. The basic concepts of emotional intelligence and their effects on an individual’s leadership capacity are easy to understand, yet often poorly interpreted and executed.
The four prime concepts of emotional intelligence include self awareness, self management, social awareness and social or relationship management. It may seem that these ideas and behaviors are so obvious that they do not need to be taught at all, but some recent decisions at the national level show the importance of EQ training in the Medical Center.
