Understanding Emotional Intelligence to Enhance Leadership and Individualized Well-Being.

Abstract

The successful team concept extends beyond the operating room and into many areas of hand surgery practice. Effective leadership is critical in creating highly effective teams. Evidence suggests that leadership skills can be learned and developed. The authors synthesize and translate findings from organizational psychology to provide insight and recommendations for clinical practice. Specifically, the role of broad emotional intelligence in leadership is explored. This includes self-awareness (eg, understanding one's strengths, challenges, behavioral tendencies, and emotional reactions), emotion regulation, managing others' emotions (eg, supporting others' needs, managing interpersonal conflict, and displaying empathy), and high-quality communication and establishing/maintaining boundaries.