Emotional Intelligence and its Impact on Leadership in Healthcare Sector

Nadira Khan, IMB2020034

Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad

Abstract
Multiple abilities are unquestionably necessary for good leadership, and finding specific
competencies that would improve staff performance is a major undertaking. This research looks
into the impact of a leader's emotional intelligence on employee performance in the healthcare
industry, as well as the contextual underpinnings. The study would use secondary data from
numerous survey surveys, publications, papers, interviews, hospital manuals, and other sources
to establish a significant link between leaders' emotional intelligence and employee performance.
The research would concentrate on the work of leadership, as well as the numerous issues faced
by the healthcare industry, which necessitates a reasonable level of emotional intelligence in
order to improve staff performance.

Keywords
Emotional Intelligence, Healthcare Sector, Empowering leadership, Psychological
empowerment, Organizational behavior

Introduction
Emotional intelligence (EI) skills assist healthcare leaders in better understanding, engaging, and
motivating their teams. They are necessary for effectively resolving conflict and developing
practical solutions to complicated challenges. Personal competence underpins EI skills, which in
turn underpin social competence abilities such as social awareness and relationship management.
The EI skills of the leader have a significant impact on the organization's culture. This article
gives instances of effective ways for developing important emotional intelligence skills that are
the basis for personal and professional success, as well as examples of their inappropriate usage
and overuse.

Literature Review
In the healthcare industry, as in many others, equating intelligence with leadership can be a big
mistake. While intelligence is an important component of success for healthcare executives in
general and physicians in particular, relying just on intelligence to navigate the intricacies of
modern healthcare is a recipe for disaster. Healthcare as a profession is characterized by patient
and family distress, difficult diagnosis and treatment, and financial and regulatory complexity.
While intelligence is beneficial, it is simply one of several factors that contribute to healthcare
executives' success.
Many of the difficult work situations faced by physicians, nurses, and other healthcare leaders
with colleagues or staff revolve around: 1) misunderstandings of word or intent; 2) an
individual's inability to comprehend the impact of their actions on others; or 3) the
"grit-in-the-gears" hurdles created by organizational culture issues. While healthcare executives
face clinical and financial concerns, interpersonal issues take up the majority of their time and
resources (Pfifferling 2008, Freshman & Rubino 2002, Gifford, et al 2002, Cummings 2009).
There are two types of tools that healthcare leaders need to succeed: hard and soft (Klaus 2008).

"Hard skills" are the technical talents that have traditionally been stressed in training for
physicians, but also for many other healthcare leaders. Clinical fund-of-knowledge and clinical
skill acquisition are emphasized in medical schools and residency programmes, as well as
advanced nursing and allied health training programmes and public health. These hard skills are
often found in financial, systems, and facilities management for healthcare administrators. The
ability to receive, analyze, and integrate information is required for the development of these
talents, which is sometimes referred to as the intelligence quotient or "IQ." Interpersonal and
communication skills, as well as professionalism (Porath & Pearson 2009, O'Toole & Bennis
2009, Awad 2004), have received far less attention in formal training for medicine (Awad 2004,
Horwitz 2008, Mrkonjic & Grondin 2011, Wagner 2002), nursing (Cummings 2009), and
healthcare administration (Porath & Pearson 2009, O'Toole & Bennis 2009, Awad 2004). (2011).
Because these abilities are strategic in nature, they cut across fields rather than being limited to a
single job. In contrast to IQ, these abilities rely heavily on "emotional intelligence," often known
as EI or emotional quotient (EQ). The personal-emotional-social components of general
intelligence make up Emotional Intelligence as a distinct construct (Bar-On 1997, Bar-On 2002,
Pearman 2003).

Objectives
● This study aims to investigate the impact of Emotional Intelligence on Leadership in the
Healthcare Sector through psychological empowerment.
● To study the relationship between leaders’ emotional intelligence and employee
performance.

Methodology and Data Collection

● The Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (Bar-On, 1997) would be used to analyze
leaders’ emotional intelligence competencies in five (5) dimensions: Interpersonal,
Intra-personal, General mood, Adaptability and Stress management.
● The study would be conducted using the secondary data available from the various
survey questionnaires, reports, articles, interviews, hospital manuals, etc.

Expected Outcomes
 ● The study would reflect upon the various aspects that the leaders report themselves to be
emotionally intelligent.
● Employees’ experience that their leaders are emotionally intelligent and that it impacts on
their performance.
● The consequences of prevailing challenges within the healthcare sector may potentially
lead to decreased employee performance.
● How the leaders in this sector carry the burden of ensuring a reasonable level of
performance because of the pivotal need to preserve human life and mental state. In order
to achieve this goal, emotional intelligence competencies will come to the fore.
● Recommendations on active awareness and deployment of training for employees in the
public healthcare sector.

General Discussion
Inadequate funding, policy inconsistencies, infrastructural deficits, and breaches of collective
agreements, among other challenges, plague the healthcare system. It is useful to highlight that
leaders have no power over such concerns, as the primary responsibility for addressing such
difficulties rests with the employer (government). As a result, because of the critical necessity to
preserve human life and mental health, leaders in this sector bear the task of guaranteeing a
reasonable level of performance. Emotional intelligence competencies will play a key role in
achieving this goal. Only competencies relevant to the issues that occur inside a context can be
demonstrated by leaders. This isn't to say that emotional intelligence skills are only useful in
situations where basic obstacles are present. Rather, it promotes the idea that emotional
intelligence may be beneficial in every situation, regardless of the dynamics of its operations.
Furthermore, the contagious nature of emotions necessitates a responsibility to regulate them
appropriately.

Conclusion
Employees in the public healthcare sector should be made aware of the notion of emotional
intelligence, and training should be provided. Employees may find it difficult to remove
themselves from their emotions on a consistent basis, and this failure to control emotions in the
workplace may continue to impede performance. Despite the fact that emotional intelligence
skills are demonstrated, there is still potential for more understanding and appreciation of the
notion. On numerous levels, such human capacity investment will enable the sector to exploit
emotional intelligence competencies.

References
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select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and
organizations.
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International Journal of Healthcare Management, 13(sup1), 329-339.