LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL IS EMPOWERED BY STUDYING THE SCIENCE OF NEGOTIATION
Abstract
This pilot study moves from the assumption that leadership is a relationship (and not a personality trait) and, therefore, that emotional intelligence is an essential quality for an effective leadership. This project moves also from the assumption that those who are able to negotiate show higher emotional intelligence and higher potential for leadership. Afterall, real leaders always negotiate. To test it, we involved Luiss University students who were enrolled both in the Laboratory of Negotiation (NegotiatingLab) and the New Technologies and Labour Law course: given its focus on negotiation, the former was considered the experimental group, while the latter was the control group. The results of this study show that studying the science of negotiation enables people to develop all the basic elements of emotional intelligence and, therefore, the leadership potential. In other words, we found that studying the science of negotiation – i.e. the science that enables us to learn about the emotions and interests of others (and, in turn, ours’) – is fundamental to developing emotional intelligence and leadership skills. More specifically, the findings show that, after attending the NegotiatingLab, students’ emotional intelligence increased of 8.62% on average vs. an increase of 0.60% registered among the students participating in the control group. Further, an improvement within the experimental group’s participants has been noted not only in terms of social awareness and relationship management (i.e. emotional intelligence’s inter-personal skills), but also in terms of self-awareness and self-management (i.e. emotional intelligence’s intra-personal skills). Moreover, we noted that at the end of the Negotiating Lab an increase in the four basic elements of emotional intelligence led to an enhancement of leadership potential. On the contrary, at the end of the New Technologies and Labour Law course the correlations among the examined variables remained unchanged, demonstrating no substantial modification in the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership skills. This evidence imply that the science of negotiation should be recognized as a core competence for the future because it provides a mental training that enables people to develop four basic emotional intelligence skills (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management) and, therefore, improves the quality of leadership. In other words, this study shows that emotional intelligence and leadership potential can be improved through the mental training provided by studying the science of negotiation. In this regard, scholars argue that the more emotionally intelligent individuals are more effective negotiators. This research shows that the relationship is also inverse: those who study the science of negotiation become more emotionally intelligent and increase their leadership potential. Given the above, we can say that people who have been studying negotiation are more emotional intelligent individuals and, as a consequence, they show a higher potential to be effective leaders. After all, if we carefully think about it, a negotiator must lead not only those on the same side of the table, but also those on the other side. A negotiator leads. A leader negotiates. Always. That’s why, moving from the idea that human life is an endless negotiation, the studying of the science of negotiation should be integrated into our school and university education systems. It will likely contribute to develop the leadership potential for the future.
Leadership potential is empowered by studying the science of negotiation
Abstract
This research – carried out involving Luiss University students who attended the NegotiatingLab in 2020 – moves from the assumption that emotional intelligence is an essential quality for leadership. The results show that studying the science of negotiation enables people to develop all the basic elements of emotional intelligence. We have observed that studying the science of negotiation – being the science that enables us to learn about the emotions and interests of others (and, in turn, ours’) – is fundamental to developing emotional intelligence and is therefore a key leadership competence. Our observation showed that, after having attended a 48-hours course of science of negotiation, students’ emotional intelligence increased in total averages of 6.49 points (10.02%). We also observed an enhancement of the females’ emotional intelligence four-skills average of 10.60% and an 8.87% increase for males. In this respect, indeed, an improvement of the sample has been noted not only in terms of social awareness and relationship management (inter-personal skills), but also in terms of self-awareness and self-management (intra-personal skills). The above might imply that the science of negotiation should be recognized as a core competence to improve the quality of leadership because it provides a mental training that enables people to develop the four basic emotional intelligence skills: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. Scholars argue that the more emotionally intelligent individuals are more effective as negotiators. This research shows that the relationship is also inverse: those who study the science of negotiation become more emotionally intelligent. On the basis of the above, we could say that people who have been studying negotiation are more emotional intelligent individuals and, therefore, they show a higher potential to be effective leaders. After all, if we carefully think about it, a negotiator must lead not only those on the same side of the table, but also those on the other side. A negotiator leads. A leader negotiates. Always.
La capacità di leadership si accresce studiando la scienza della negoziazione
Abstract
Questa prima osservazione – condotta coinvolgendo studenti della Luiss Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali che hanno frequentato il Laboratorio di Negoziazione (NegotiatingLab) nel 2020 – muove dal presupposto che l’intelligenza emotiva sia una qualità essenziale per la leadership. I risultati mostrano che lo studio della scienza della negoziazione consente alle persone di sviluppare tutti gli elementi di base dell’intelligenza emotiva. E’ stato osservato che lo studio della scienza della negoziazione – intesa come la scienza che ci consente di apprendere gli interessi e le emozioni degli altri (e, di conseguenza, anche i nostri) – è fondamentale per lo sviluppo dell’intelligenza emotiva ed è quindi una competenza chiave per la leadership. La nostra osservazione ha mostrato che, dopo aver frequentato un corso di scienza della negoziazione di 48 ore, l’intelligenza emotiva degli studenti è aumentata in media di 6,49 punti (10,02%). Abbiamo anche osservato un miglioramento della media delle quattro abilità dell’intelligenza emotiva delle persone di sesso femminile del 10,60% e un aumento dell’8,87% per le persone di sesso maschile. A tale riguardo, infatti, si è notato un miglioramento del campione non solo in termini di coscienza sociale e gestione delle relazioni (abilità interpersonali), ma anche in termini di autoconsapevolezza e autocontrollo (abilità intra-personali). Quanto sopra implica che la scienza della negoziazione dovrebbe essere riconosciuta come una competenza fondamentale per migliorare la qualità della leadership perché fornisce un allenamento mentale che consente alle persone di sviluppare le quattro abilità di base dell’intelligenza emotiva: autoconsapevolezza, autocontrollo, consapevolezza sociale e gestione delle relazioni. Gli studiosi sostengono che gli individui emotivamente più intelligenti sono più efficaci come negoziatori. Questa ricerca mostra la relazione è anche inversa: chi studia la scienza della negoziazione diventa più emotivamente intelligente. Sulla base di quanto sopra, potremmo dire che le persone che hanno studiato negoziazione sono individui più intelligenti dal punto di vista emotivo e, quindi, mostrano un potenziale più elevato per essere leader efficaci. Dopo tutto, se ci pensiamo attentamente, un negoziatore deve guidare non solo coloro che stanno dalla stessa parte del tavolo, ma anche coloro che stanno dall’altra parte. Un negoziatore conduce. Un leader negozia. Sempre.