A report published by PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC); 20 years inside the mind of a CEO… What’s next has identified that the most important skills CEOs need in their business is Problem Solving. However, the skill of Emotional Intelligence comes in as the 6th most important skill, as shown below.
The issue with these findings is that Problem Solving is one of the measures of EI. I use the EQ-i 2.0 assessment tool and it measures Problem Solving against the following criteria;
Problem Solving is the ability to find solutions to problems in situations where emotions are involved. Problem-solving includes the ability to understand how emotions impact decision making.
People low in EI in this area typically;
- Jump to a solution
- Avoid dealing with the problem
- Use an unstructured strategy
- Ignores emotional information
- Feels overwhelmed
In short, a person demonstrating low EI across these areas is likely to present behaviours not unlike a bull in a china shop, causing more damage as a result of their lack of skill in managing their own emotional state.
People high in EI in this area typically;
- Gather information first and weigh up the pros and cons
- Can identify and solve problems
- Use a systematic approach
- Can apply emotional information to help
- Can draw on past experiences
In short, a person high in EI across these areas is likely to demonstrate a far more controlled, measured approach to resolving problems, by being more efficient and effective in their approach.
Emotional intelligence also measures the ability to Reality Test. Reality Testing is the capability to remain objective by seeing things as they really are. This capacity involves recognising when emotions or personal bias can cause someone to be less objective.
People low in EI in this area typically;
- Are tuned out
- Unrealistic
- Disconnected
- Easily Swayed
- Allow emotions to colour reality
So, in short, a person demonstrating low EI may not even recognise the problem and when they do they are far more likely to form inaccurate assessments of both the issue and the solution.
People high in EI in this area typically;
- Are tuned into the environment
- Can assess life situations fairly and accurately
- Are grounded and objective
- And put emotions in perspective
In summary, a person low in EI across the two criteria described above could resemble the Coyote running around trying their best but not really having any sense of an effective means to tackle issues and catch the roadrunner. The Roadrunner on the other hand appears calm and collected, is always looking around, can see the Coyote’s traps and avoid them.
The findings from the PWC report clearly show that problem solving is the number one skill many CEOs are searching for to support their business. And what we need to do is ask what makes a good problem solver, this way we un-earth a deeper, far more precise skill set that once captured will contribute far more to helping CEOs drive their businesses forward.