In every field that touches human life, the perspective, attitude, and behaviors of leaders now carry much deeper meanings. The rapid pace brought by globalization, evolving expectations through technology, and global crises such as the pandemic have made it essential for health administrators to be not only intelligent but also emotionally strong. Today, having a high intelligence quotient (IQ) alone is no longer sufficient to make a manager successful. In times of crisis, leaders must be able to make rational decisions while also addressing the emotional needs of employees and society (Issah, 2018).
As emphasized by Daniel Goleman (2004, as cited in Coronado-Maldonado & Benítez-Marquez, 2023), emotional intelligence has become the hidden strength of next-generation leadership. Especially in fields like healthcare, which directly impact human life, the ability of leaders to empathize, remain calm during crises, and show sensitivity in communication is no longer seen as an extra advantage but as a necessity.
Recent public discussions following policy statements that associated family structure solely with having children in an effort to increase birth rates through promoting natural childbirth methods have caused significant controversy. The reactions observed on social media once again demonstrated that communication must involve not only scientific data but also emotional intelligence skills. Emotional intelligence enables leaders to develop a sensitive approach to individuals’ and societies’ value systems (Goleman, 1995, as cited in Coronado-Maldonado & Benítez-Marquez, 2023). These developments highlight that leaders must not only develop accurate strategies but also manage society’s emotions, values, and expectations with great sensitivity.
Human-Centered Leadership: The Impact of Emotional Intelligence
From the perspective of Salovey and Mayer (1990, as cited in Coronado-Maldonado & Benítez-Marquez, 2023), emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive and effectively manage one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Daniel Goleman (1995, as cited in Coronado-Maldonado & Benítez-Marquez, 2023) further advanced this definition by emphasizing that success in the professional world depends not only on a high IQ but also on a strong EQ. Today, especially within large-scale organizations such as ministries, one of the greatest challenges leaders face is not just informing people during change processes, but also convincing them emotionally. The pandemic period has clearly demonstrated to all of us that making the right decisions is not sufficient; managing the emotional impact of these decisions is equally vital.
Leaders who can emotionally engage people with their decisions are significantly more successful in boosting team motivation, increasing applicant satisfaction, and ensuring the sustainability of service quality.
According to Cavaness, Picchioni, and Fleshman (2023), personality traits such as extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are crucial for effective leadership. However, when these traits combine with emotional intelligence, they can truly make a difference.
When we look at today’s management approach in Turkey, we still observe a dominance of IQ-oriented, technically centered strategies. Yet, field success is not achieved solely by developing strategies and procedures; it requires understanding people and gaining their trust. Administrators, who are the implementers of policies, must be able to recognize the emotional needs of their employees, enhance motivation, and effectively manage resistance to change. The intense public reactions on social media to recent sensitive policy statements have once again highlighted the crucial role of emotional intelligence in leadership. Human-centered leadership, supported not just by technical knowledge, but also by empathy, open communication, and emotional agility, is now more valuable than ever.
Overall Evaluation
What I’d like to provide an overall evaluation here: achieving success in leadership is not just about “knowing” but also about “feeling.” While intelligence enables a leader to generate solutions, emotional intelligence inspires people and moves them into action. Placing leaders with high emotional intelligence in areas that directly touch people’s lives not only increases employee engagement but also enhances the satisfaction of those receiving services. In today’s world, investing in the emotional intelligence development of leaders has become an essential requirement for building more reliable, humane, and sustainable systems. A leader’s ability to guide with both knowledge and emotion is the key to preserving organizational culture and achieving outstanding results.
Recommendations
- Emotional intelligence development should be integrated as a mandatory module into leadership training programs.
- Managerial appointments should assess emotional competencies as much as technical qualifications.
- Change management processes should adopt an approach that centers on the emotional needs of employees.
- A culture of open communication and trust should be established within organizations, and leaders must act as role models in this regard.
By doing so, the understanding of leadership within organizational systems can evolve into a model that not only appeals to the mind but also touches the heart.
References
- Cavaness, K., Picchioni, A., & Fleshman, J. W. (2023). Linking Emotional Intelligence to Successful Health Care Leadership: The Big Five Model of Personality. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 15, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1709435
- Coronado-Maldonado, I., & Benítez-Marquez, M.-D. (2023). Emotional intelligence, leadership, and work teams: A hybrid literature review. Heliyon, 9(8), e20356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20356
- Issah, M. (2018). Change Leadership: The Role of Emotional Intelligence. SAGE Open, 8(3), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/215824401880091