Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Civil Services

The study of emotions in bureaucracy can be seen from the period of Max Weber. He said complete neutrality and absence of emotions for rational administration. But the recent has shown that rationality and emotions are not separate compartments in the brain rather they are interwoven.

People working in key bureaucratic positions are constantly being assailed by the emotional demands placed on them by their peers, and members of the community.

Emotions, as a phenomenon mediates the social process in the working of bureaucracy. Political and bureaucratic leadership are influenced, shaped and constrained by emotional expression and aids in their personal and leadership development.

Emotional intelligence and a Bureaucratic Leader

Social responsibility

When a leader cares about others, he is not a centre of attention and keeps everyone in the loop by making their intentions known.

Stress tolerance

To stay focused, stress should be managed and it involves own reactions to stress or the reactions of others to the stress.

Impulse control

Independent people evaluate the alternatives andinitiate the workby taking appropriate action by executing the right options. People who manage their impulses avoid being distracted and losing control of the situation.

Optimism

Optimistic people have a target that they’re aiming toward. These people are confident in their ability to carry out the required actions and meet the target by looking for successful solutions to problems.

At any stage of bureaucracy, today’s leaders need to win the hearts and minds of their followers. He needs the following competencies.

• People want to feel involved in planning the interventions or tasks that they’re assigned to carry out.
• Good leaders are sensitive to and can read even minor objections to ideas and requests. After good leaders recognize objections, they can easily deal with them, either by overcoming objections or by making slight adjustments to the plan.
• Make the team feel like an important part of the team.
• Good leaders know and use their skills to get everyone on board with whatever decision he makes.

The following are the emotional intelligence skills that are required for a bureaucracy to be successful in the long run.

Assertiveness

Being assertive means asking the right questions in the right way when you don’t know the answer to a problem to the team.

Interpersonal relationships

Interpersonal relationship skills help leaders cultivate the relations they need with others.

Impulse control

Being patient helps the leader not to interrupt others and allowshearing out their views.

Happiness

Happiness draws people and they prefer working with leaders who are happy, but they tend to hide from those leaders with less than friendly dispositions.