Emotional intelligence is an important concept in psychology and leadership. It refers to the ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of others. Integrity, on the other hand, is defined as adherence to moral and ethical principles and values. So is integrity an inherent part of having high emotional intelligence? Let’s explore this question further.
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence (EI) can be defined as the ability to:
- Perceive, understand and manage one’s own emotions
- Recognize and understand the emotions of others
- Use this emotional awareness to motivate oneself and manage relationships
First introduced by psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer in the 1990s, emotional intelligence is considered essential for effective leadership, communication and overall success in many areas of life. It encompasses skills like self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and motivation.
EI exists on a spectrum – some individuals have naturally higher emotional intelligence while others need to actively develop it. However, experts believe EI skills can be improved through deliberate training and practice. High emotional intelligence manifests itself in qualities like self-control, passion, persistence and optimism.
Key aspects of emotional intelligence
According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, there are four main aspects of emotional intelligence:
- Self-awareness – Understanding your own emotions, drivers and impact on others
- Self-management – Handling your emotions and impulses responsibly
- Social awareness – Sensing others’ emotions and perspectives and taking an active interest in their concerns
- Relationship management – Using emotional awareness to influence, inspire and develop others while managing conflict
Developing strength in each of these areas contributes to higher overall emotional intelligence.
What is integrity?
Integrity refers to adherence to moral and ethical values, principles and norms. It is characterized by:
- Honesty
- Reliability
- Consistency in words and actions
- Wholeness – aligning intentions, thoughts, words and actions
- Standing up for what is right
- Taking responsibility for one’s mistakes
People with integrity align their values with their actions. They have a clear inner compass guiding their behavior at all times. Integrity requires courage, commitment and humility to stay true to one’s moral code, even in challenging situations.
Is integrity an inherent part of emotional intelligence?
There is certainly overlap between emotional intelligence and integrity. However, they are ultimately distinct concepts. Some key connections and differences include:
- Self-awareness is needed for integrity, to know one’s values and moral standards.
- Self-management involves acting consistently with integrity despite external pressures.
- Empathy, part of social awareness, enables compassion and moral reasoning.
- Integrity is a personal choice, while EI is an ability that can be measured.
- EI skills can be used positively or negatively, integrity is about positive morals.
- EI deals with all emotions, integrity focuses specifically on ethics.
Based on these points, integrity and high EI often correspond but do not necessarily always overlap. Some key insights on whether integrity is inherently part of emotional intelligence:
1. Self-awareness enables integrity, but does not guarantee it
Having a clear understanding of one’s own values, principles and impact on others is essential for integrity. Self-awareness, a core component of EI, provides this foundation. However, just because someone is self-aware does not mean they will choose to act with integrity. One can be fully aware of their values and still abandon them when convenient. As such, integrity requires personal commitment in addition to self-knowledge.
2. Self-management and integrity both involve self-control
Regulating one’s emotions, impulses and behaviors is central to both integrity and EI self-management. Acting consistently with integrity often requires self-discipline against strong external pressures and temptations. However, self-management overall deals with the full spectrum of emotions, of which integrity is just one subdomain. Also, self-control can be used for good or bad ends, integrity is specifically about moral actions.
3. Social skills enable influence with integrity
EI social skills like empathy and conflict management can be channeled towards positive or negative goals. Understanding others’ emotions and perspectives certainly helps in influencing them towards ethical behavior. However, the same skills could also be used to mislead and manipulate. So EI social skills themselves are value-neutral, though they can be used to promote integrity.
4. Integrity supports development of EI, and vice versa
There is a reciprocal relationship between emotional intelligence and integrity. Committing to ethical principles strengthens EI abilities like self-control, empathy and conflict management. It provides intrinsic motivation to develop EI skills further. In turn, greater EI enhances understanding of moral perspectives, enabling integrity. This virtuous cycle supports growth in both domains.
The role of integrity in EI models
Different psychological models have nuanced perspectives on whether integrity is an inherent ingredient of high emotional intelligence. Some notable EI models and their take on integrity are:
Daniel Goleman’s model
In Daniel Goleman’s popular EI model outlined earlier, integrity falls under self-management. He states that the self-management component of EI requires managing impulses and emotions while maintaining integrity. So integrity is an explicit element of EI in Goleman’s framework.
Peter Salovey and John Mayer’s model
Salovey and Mayer’s original EI model does not explicitly include integrity. They see EI as the ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions. Integrity may correspond to skillful use of emotions, but is not called out as a distinct component. Their model focuses purely on emotional skills.
Steven Stein’s model
Psychologist Steven Stein’s EI model divides EI into two areas – emotional perception and emotional integration. Emotional perception refers to recognizing emotions in oneself and others. Emotional integration describes the ability to utilize emotional information. This includes values and integrity. So Stein’s model implicitly includes integrity within overall EI.
Reuven Bar-On’s model
Reuven Bar-On’s EI model contains five elements – self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal skills, decision-making and stress management. He places a particular emphasis on using EI skills to make decisions congruent with one’s values. His model explicitly connects EI to integrity and ethical behavior.
So there are differing perspectives on whether integrity is core or tangential to emotional intelligence. But most experts agree the two capabilities are complementary and mutually reinforcing, even if not one and the same.
How to develop integrity as part of EI growth
Here are some ways to consciously build integrity as an element of enhancing emotional intelligence:
- Know your core values through self-reflection and discussion with others
- Commit to making decisions aligned with your values, not just convenience
- Recognize situations where your integrity is tested and prepare your responses
- Surround yourself with people who share and role model integrity
- Admit your mistakes openly and apologize for lapses
- Empathize with different moral perspectives while staying grounded
- Reflect on times you lapsed and consider how to do better
The more integrity becomes an instinctive part of one’s everyday behavior, the more it will feed into emotional growth and vice versa. With practice, acting with integrity can become an intrinsic habit.
How leaders demonstrate integrity
For leaders, integrating integrity into emotional intelligence abilities is critical. Leaders role model integrity when they:
- Communicate transparently and admit mistakes sincerely
- Make tough decisions based on ethics, not expediency
- Listen empathetically before responding
- Provide constructive feedback sensitively but honestly
- Guide their teams with positivity during crises
- Take personal accountability for organizational integrity
These behaviors depend on EI elements like self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and conflict management. They powerfully reinforce integrity being an inseparable element of leadership effectiveness.
Conclusion
Integrity and emotional intelligence have significant overlap and complement each other in many ways. However, they are distinct constructs. Integrity is adherence to ethical values, while EI represents a wider set of emotional skills. Though correlated, having high EI does not automatically imply integrity. The choice to act with integrity must come from within.
EI capabilities like self-awareness, self-management and empathy certainly enable integrity. Integrity also motivates developing greater emotional intelligence. This suggests a reciprocal relationship, with each informing the other. For leaders, cultivating integrity within overall EI growth is especially impactful. Prioritizing integrity leads to EI maturity, enhancing leadership influence.
In summary, integrity is an interconnected aspect of EI rather than an inherent element. Focusing on integrity as a complement to emotional skills development can powerfully uplift leadership and performance.