SPECIAL TOPIC

The Socially IntelligentDaniel Goleman

Ms. Smith, a seasonedmiddle school prin-cipal, pnded herselfon acclimating newteachers to her

schools practices. She modeled lessonsfor teachers and made herself availableto answer their questions. Sheremained frustrated, however, whenthree of her newly hired teachers wereslow 10 use strategies that she knewwould help their students.

So Ms. Smith' tried somethingdifferent. One day, she got substitutecoverage for the three teachers andtook them to another school to watchtwo master teachers instruct theirclasses. Afterward, she took them outlo lunch as her guests and speni therest of the day talking over what theyhad obser\'ed. Within two weeks, shewas seeing the changes in their class-rooms that she had hoped for.

Taking time to forge that humanconnection gave this leader moreleverage than she had thought possible.The new field of social neurosciencesuggests why a personahle leadershipstyle makes sense. The person-to-person climate created by positiveinteractions can make principals moreeffective leaders—which in turn helpsboth teachers and students leam better.The improvement touches all students,from gifted youth to those most at riskof dropping out, A rising tide, an oldsaying goes, lifts all boats.

The Social Brain and LearningThe existence of neural wiring betweenthe thinking and emotional centers ofthe brain suggests that emotions can

The new field of social neuroscience

suggests why a personable

leadership style makes sense.

either enhance or inhibit the brain'sability to learn (Ashcroft & Kirk,2001). And recent findings aboutneural mechanisms known as mirrorneurons have shown that humans havethe ability to create an internal simula-tion of what is going on in the minds ofother people. When two peopleinteract, their emotional centers influ-ence each other, for better or for worse.

These findings have dlreci. implica-lions for creating school climates thatboost students' ability to learn. The bestclimate for learning comes whenstudents, teachers, and school leaders

each take steps to become moreemotionally self-aware and socially intel-ligent. Social intelligence, as 1 define it,encompasses both interpersonal aware-ness and social tacility (Goleman,2006).

Brains at Their BestFirst, the neuroscience. Psychologistshave knovm for a century that peopledo their best when they experienceboth high mouvation and manageablestress; when people are undermotivatedor overstressed, their performancesuffers. At a quickening pace since the

7 6 E D U C A T I O N A L L E A D E R S i n p / S t P i t M B E R 2 0 0 6

LeadNew findings on the soeial nature of the brainreveal the need for principals to fashiona sehool culture of warmth and trust.

1990s, brain studies have clarified thelink between emotions and the capacityto think and leam. The hormonesmobilized by the human body to meetan emergency How freely when we arestressed. One neural side effect is thatthe brain shunts energy to emotionalcenters, diminishing our ability to thinkat our best. The more intense the pres-sure, the weaker our ability to focus,remember, pay attention, and use whatwe know to solve problems. Highanxiety shrinks the brain's systems forleaming, whereas boredom underacti-vates these systems. Even giftedstudents can fail while gripped byanxiety (Beilock &r Carr, 2005).

In contrast, during inspiredmoments of learning, students experi-ence a potent mix of attention, interest,and good feelings. NeuroscientistAntonio Damasio (2003) argues that

upbeat moments signify a neurologicalstate of maximal cognitive efficiency—a brain ready to learn at its best.

Mirror Neurons and EmotionalContagionNew discoveries in social neurosciencereveal an even more subtle power ofemotions: Emotional states are conta-gious, brain-to-brain. What's nowcalled "the social brain" attunes itself tothe state of the person with whom weare interacting and adjusts our ownfeelings and actions to get into syncVidth the other person (Winkleman, &Harmon-Jones, 2006). Mirror neuronsfacihtate this automatic attunement.

Mirror neurons create, within aperson's brain, a replica of the brainstate of whomever tbat person is with.Wben an individual sees someone withan angry, hurt, or happy expression.

Leaders Pope John Paul 11, PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt, and abolitionistSojourner Truth used social intelligence tomotivate and inspire their followers.

that individual's mirror neurons activatecircuits in the brain for anger, hurt, orhappiness. Neuroscientists believe thatempathy and recognition of anotherperson's intended response to a givenstate of mind, among many kinds ofinterpersonal understanding, stemlargely from mirror neuron acti\1tyWhen a teacher quiets a noisy group ofstudents with a stern warning glance,tbe mirror neuron circuits of thesestudents presumably sense the teacher'sirritation and her intention to quietthem. They change their beha\'ior toplacate her.

During any interaction, theseneurons set up a conduit for passing

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT 77

emotions back and forth betweenparties. Whatever the supposed busi-ness at hand, we continually transmitemotions, making one another feelhetter or worse.

Implications for ShapingSchool CultureSuch discoveries in social neurosciencchold great significance for theemotional climate of schools. Sociolo-gists know that in any group, emotionsripple outward, wiih the strongestconceniration ol emotion coming tromthe most powerful person in the room(Barsade, 2002). In the classroom, thisis generally the teacher; in a staffmeeting, its the principal. Best practicesfor leaming include having teachers,school staff, and leaders all contributeto a positive school envimnment typi-fied by trust and caring relationships.That's where school leaders make acrucial difference. If a principal wantsto create an emotional climate that "liftsal! boats," he or she must lead thegroup toward positive, empatheticsocial interactions.

A school's climate is the summationof all the positive and negative interac-tions among all people at the school ina given day. The tone ol those interac-tions is largely shaped by the school'sculture—the unspoken norms, habits,and traditions that influence howpeople behave. To shape a sociallymtelligent culture, school leaders mayneed to change norms, starting withtheir own behavior. What we nowknow about how humans' brainsmirror the emotional states of others—particularly others m power—reinforces the need for leaders to beemotionally grounded and skilled inpersonal interaction, both as a modeland as the source of an emotionalripple effect.

A PrincipaVs ProgressNew York City Schools operates a pilotprogram called Star Factor Coaching

that aids school leaders in this kind ofemotional growth. Designed by JanetPatti, codirector of the LeadershipCenter at Hunter College, and RobinStern, a social-emotional learningspecialist at Columbia University'sTeachers College, the program coachesprincipals and aspiring school leadersto become more emotionally andsocially intelligent (Patti & Tobin,2006). Ms. Smith, mentioned at thebeginning of this article, was one of theprincipals in ihis coaching program.

Consider another principal m theprogram, who had an in-your-face stylethat intimidated her teachers and assis-

Six CommonLeadership Styles

Visionary. Inspires by articulating aheartfelt, shared goal; routinelygives performance feedback andsuggestions for improvement interms of that goal.

Coaching. Takes people aside for atalk to learn their personal aspira-tions; routinely gives feedback inthose terms and stretches assign-ments to move toward those goals.

Democratic. Kriows v^hen to listenand ask for input; gets buy-in anddraws on what others knov\/ tomake better decisions.

Affiliative. Realizes that having funtogether is not a waste of time, butbuilds emotional capital andharmony.

PacesettJng. Leads by hard-drivingexample and expects others tomeet the same pace and highperformance standards; tends togive Fs. not As.

Commanding. Gives orders anddemands immediate compliance;tends to be coercive.

Source: Golemsn, Boyatzis. & McKee, 2004.Reprinted with permission. This material alsoappeared in "Primal Leadership" m HarvardBusiness Review (December 2001).

tants. This pnncipal. Dr. Lee, wouldroutinely talk over others' voices andask questions without hearing theanswers or, too often, without evenwaiting for an answer. In staff meetings,her listeners responded m variousways, from sullen silence to outrightconfrontation.

Even a leisurely session meant toencourage staff members to share theirconcerns became tense because of thisprincipals leadership style. When oneassistant principal did speak up. Dr.Lee made a remark after everysentence. At the sound ofthe periodbell, everyone bolted out of the room.Afterward, exasperated with how thingshad gone, she asked her coach, "I'mstill doing it, aren't I?"

After a series of coaching sessions.Dr. Lee had a breakthrough. OneFriday, she accompanied the districtsregional instructional supervisor on awalkthrough ofthe school's EnglishLanguage Arts classrooms. Afterward,she was furious that the teachers hadbeen unable to adequately explain theobjectives oi their lessons to this districtofficial. So at 2:00 p.m. on a Eriday, Dr.Lee called a 3:30 p.m. emergencymeeting of the teachers involved.

Suddenly she realized that the timingof the meeting would seetn punitive—and that her sense of urgency wasfueled by her own anger. After pausingto reflect, she arranged to have themeeting the following week. As Dr. Leetold her coach, she recognized for thefirst time that her anger was propellingher response, and instead she pursueda more effective option.

Intelligent Leadership StylesDr. Lees rescheduling may seem like atrivial change, but it showed a shift instyle, A leader's habitual style of inter-acting can either energize or demotivatepeople. Coleman, Boyatzis, and McKee(,2004) have identified six commonleadership styles and determined howeach style affects an organization's

78 EDUCATIONAL LHADHRSHiP/SEfTEMBER 2006

climate (see "Six Common LeadershipStyles'"). Eour of these styles—visionary,coaching, democratic, and affiliative—help create a positive climate in whichpeople feel energized to do their best.But two styles of leadership tend to sapmotivation: the command-style chiefwho leacis simply by issuing fiats anddemanding compliance; and the pace-setting type who criticizes but neverpraises and sets a frantic pace.

The best leaders can deploy four ormore of these leadership styles asneeded; the poorest leaders tend tooveruse the last two. Each style can beuseful in a specific situation—forinstance, the command style works inan emergency (it combined with otherstyles), but otherwise alienates people.On Lhe t)ther hand, someone who reliesheavily on "being nice" (the affiiiativestyle) may fail to articulate a motivatingvision or confront simmering problems.

Eor example, a study of head-teachers (principals) in Great Britainfound that each leader's personal stylestrongly affected both the climate forteachers and, in turn, students'academic achievement (Hay Group,2000). Teachers did their best job andfelt most satisfied when they perceivedthat the school head

• Led flexibly rather than sticking toneedless rules.

• Let them teach in their own way,holding them accountable for tberesults.

• Set challenging but realistic goalsfor excellence.

• Valued their efforts, recognizing ajob vv'eil done.

In the atmosphere set by schoolheads who exhibited these kinds ofactions, teachers sensed that theycontributed to a larger goal and shareda common purpose that made themproud. The headteachers, data analysisfound, could best create such a climatewhen they were firm but fair and had a"people first, task second" attitude,addressing teachers' personal needs as

When two peopleinteract, theiremotional centersinfluence eachother, for betteror for worse.

well as their collective goals. The bestleaders also invited teachers to take partin making decisions and generatingnew ideas. They understood the impor-tance of making a long-term investmentin a teacher and helped teachersdevelop their skills even at a short-termcost to the school.

The British study found that the

more ol' these leadership styles a schoolleader could exhibit as needed, thebetter the achievement scores of theschools they led. The results were sostriking that England's national trainingcenter for headteachers has built part ofits curriculum around boosting thesekey skills of leadership.

A report funded by the Ontario,Canada, Ministry of Education foundthat principals in Ontano who wererated by their staff and supervisors asbeing in the top 20 percent of schoolleaders shared a similar cluster ofpersonal abilities (Stone, Parker, &rWood, 2005). They were empathetic,attentive, and understanding of others'feelings. These principals flexiblyadjusted their own responses tocolleagues and openly and effectivelysolved problems that otherwise mightfester. They nurtured mutually satis-

A s s o c i A T i O N F O R S U P E R V I S I O N A N D C U R R I C U L U M D E V E L O P M E N I 7 9

fying relalionships. ln short, theydemonstrated both emotional andsocial intelligence.

The report concluded hy recom-mending that school boards shouldrecruit and promote school administra-tors who exhibited these qualities,rather than simply looking at their jobhistories, as is often the case.

Social Intelligence and StudentsEffective leaders will extend thestrengthening of a school community'ssocial intelligence to the interactions oistudents themselves, using any of thewell-validated programs in social-emotional learning. Such programsteach students essential personal skills:self-awareness, stress and angermanagemeni, empathy, strategies forworking out disagreements construc-tively, and decision making.

A leader's habitual style of interacting caneither energize or demotivate people.

Roger Weissberg, president of theCollaborative for Academic, Social, andEmotional Learning, reeentlyconducted a meta-analysis of hundredsof studies of social-emotional leamingprograms (Durlak & Weissberg, 2005).He found that effective programs leadto significant drops in problems likeviolence and substance abuse and, onthe upside, to better attendance and aclassroom atmosphere that enablesteachers to spend less time discipliningand more time leaching. The strongestprograms fit seamlessly into the stan-dard academic curriculum (Devaney,O'Brien, Resnik, Keister, & Weissberg,2006). Best of all, students learn better

in a more positive emotional climate.Students who participated in social-emotional learning, compared withmatched peers who did not participate,had higher grade point averages andranked 12 percentile points higher onacademic achievement tests (Durlak &Weissberg, 2005).

Doing Our BestThe essential task of a school leadercomes dovvTi to helping people get intoand stay in an optima! state in whichthey can work to their best ability. Thistypically means creating an atmosphereof warmth and trust—of globalrapport—in which people feel good

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about themselves, energized about their

mission, and committed to giving their

finest.

Understandmg the power of the

social brain expands the range of tools

we have available for sta>ing in that

optimal state. Other people become

part of our neural tool kit for doing our

best, just as we become part of theirs.

Leading a school to create a warmer

and more connected school culture

need not mean sacrificing academic

rigor. Instead, soeially intelligent

leaders help schools better fulfill their

main mission: teaching. H!

'Names in this article are pseudonyms.

ReferencesAshcroft, M,, & Kirk, E. (2001). The rela-

tionship among working memory, mathanxiety, and performance, journal ofExperimental Psychology, 130, 224-227,

Barsade, S. (2002). The ripple effect:Emotional coniagion and its influence ongroup behavior. Adrryinistralive ScienceQuarterly, 47, 644-675.

Beilock, S., & Carr, T. (2005). When high-powered people fail: Working memoryand "choking under pressure" in math.Psychological Science, 16, 101-105.

Damasio, A. (2003). Looking for Spinoza: joy,sorrow, and the feeling brain. New York:Harcoun.

Devaney, E., O'Brien, M, U,, Resnik, H.,Keister, S., & Weissberg, R. P. (2006).SufitainabJe schoolwide social and emotionalleaming: Implemenlation guide and toolkit.Chicago: Collaborative for Academic,Social, and Emotional Leaming.

Durlak,J,, & Weissberg, R. (2005, August).A major meta-analysis of positive youthdevelopment programs. Presentation at theAnnual Meeting of the American Psycho-logical Association, Washington, DC,

Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A.(2004). Primal leadership: Learning to leadwith emotional intelligence. Boston:Harvard Business School Press,

Hay Group. (2000). Raising achievement in

our schools: Models of excellence for head-teachers in different settings. Available:www.ncsl.org,uk/media/E7B/52/kpool-hay-models-of-excellence-parts-l-2,pdf.

Patti, J., & Tobin, J. (2006). Smart schoolleaders: Leading with emotional intelligence.Dubuque, [A: Kendall-Hunt.

Stone, H., Parker, J. D., & Wood, L M.(2005). Report on the Ontario Principals'Council Leadership Study. Available:www.eiconsortium.orj^research/opc_leadership_study_finaLreport.htm.

Winkleman, P., &r Harmon-Jones, E.(2006), Social neuroscience. New York:Oxford University Press,

Copyright © 2006 Daniel Goleman.

Daniel Goleman is Codirector of theConsortium for Research on EmotionalIntelligence in Organizations at RutgersUniversity. His latest book is Social Intel-ligence: The New Science of HumanRelationships (Bantam Books, 2006). Hecan be reached through his Web site,www.danielgoleman.info.

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