The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Diplomacy

The term “emotional intelligence” first emerged in 1990, and since then it has become a central concept in social life and has spread across various fields.

As we live in a fast-paced and ever-growing world, emotional intelligence has permeated many professions, including the political sphere through “diplomacy.” In this realm, diplomats need to possess a high level of emotional intelligence. Some diplomats tend to rely on their emotions and feelings when addressing problems or making decisions, which can lead to either positive or negative outcomes.

So, how can we apply and benefit from emotional intelligence in the field of diplomacy? In this article, we will discuss two main topics, the most important of which are:

  1. What do we mean by emotional intelligence, and what are its skills?
  2. Emotional intelligence and diplomacy.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is the ability of an individual to manage their own emotions and feelings, understand and recognize the feelings of others, as well as body language, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Therefore, it is essential to enhance your emotional intelligence to develop your social intelligence, which is a vital skill for building and maintaining relationships, enabling people to communicate effectively and adapt to changing situations.

Skills of Emotional Intelligence

If diplomats acquire emotional intelligence skills, it will increase their emotional acuity, subsequently reflecting positively on their success in the workplace and life in general.

The skills of emotional intelligence include:

Self-Awareness: This is the ability to recognize and categorize one’s own feelings, as well as their causes and effects. It also involves understanding one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations. Self-awareness helps avoid emotional hijacking, which occurs when a person acts impulsively or irrationally due to strong emotions. For example, a self-aware diplomat would not lash out at a colleague for making a mistake; instead, they would calmly address the problem and offer constructive feedback concerning the challenges they face at work. The more self-aware a diplomat is, the better the quality of decisions they make in diplomatic contexts. Self-awareness helps the diplomat understand their behaviors and personal conduct and how these affect others from different cultures. For instance, communication in a specific country may require an indirect approach; hence they must be aware of their communication style and adjust it to fit the local culture.

Emotion Regulation: Everyone aspires to achieve sound behaviors and balanced emotions; however, they may lose the joy of balanced feelings by succumbing to an overwhelming flood of emotions. Emotional regulation is the ability to manage personal behaviors, especially in difficult or stressful situations. For a diplomat, controlling emotions is a core skill because they operate in an environment that requires a high degree of calmness and rational thinking, dealing with sensitive international issues related to state relations and political affairs. For example, the Iranian nuclear agreement represents one of the most challenging diplomatic negotiations in modern history, where Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his American counterpart John Kerry demonstrated the use of emotional intelligence skills to overcome differences, showcasing a high ability to control their emotions, maintaining their composure even when situations became complex, and continuing dialogue to reach a final agreement, ultimately helping to achieve a historic accord.

Emotion Management: This refers to the ability to effectively and appropriately manage emotions, whether they are one’s own feelings or the feelings of others. This skill is one of the essential elements of emotional intelligence, helping diplomats to act balancedly, even in tough situations or scenarios that provoke strong reactions. Emotion management includes several aspects such as “awareness of feelings, controlling reactions, regulating emotions, and adapting to feelings.” A successful diplomat must know how to control their emotions during negotiations or conflicts. Emotion management serves as the foundation for diplomats, enabling them to regulate their feelings and act wisely, thereby achieving goals and solving problems effectively and satisfactorily for all involved. For example, consider Nelson Mandela’s demeanor during negotiations with the apartheid regime in South Africa. Mandela managed to control his emotions and overcome feelings of hatred and anger towards the system that had imprisoned him for 27 years. By regulating his feelings, he successfully led the peaceful transition in South Africa towards equal democracy, with negotiations involving significant compromises among the conflicting parties. This ability to self-regulate and transform anger into an opportunity for understanding and reconciliation was key to his success.

Social Skills: This encompasses a set of abilities that help individuals to interact effectively with others and build positive relationships. These skills are a foundational part of emotional intelligence because they enhance a person’s capacity to interact successfully with their social environment. A successful diplomat requires advanced social intelligence skills for negotiation, influence, and active listening, which are core principles of diplomatic engagement. Social intelligence skills are acquired, and diplomats must train themselves through self-reflection on their interactions with others and analyze these to identify areas for improvement to reach the desired level. An emotionally intelligent diplomat also enhances their listening skills, fostering deep and high-level human relationships. For instance, Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary-General, was known for his excellent negotiation and social skills, ability to listen effectively, and capacity to build communication bridges between conflicting parties while playing a significant role in addressing numerous international crises. Social skills are central to diplomacy as they help in establishing sustainable international relationships.

Emotional Intelligence and Diplomacy

In our current era, diplomacy has become more important than ever, owing to the increasing complexities of international relations and shared global issues. Diplomacy is defined as: the process of managing international relations through negotiation, dialogue, and peaceful communication between states, international organizations, or other actors. Diplomacy seeks to achieve national interests and resolve conflicts without resorting to military force. Among the qualities a diplomat should possess are negotiation skills, which means being adept at negotiating and reaching solutions, as well as flexibility skills, the ability to adapt to different cultures and changing policies and conditions. Additionally, strategic thinking is critical, as it involves understanding long-term goals and considering strategic ways to promote the state’s interests.

What is the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Diplomacy?

Diplomacy is closely linked to emotional intelligence, as emotional intelligence skills are core requirements for a diplomat’s success in influencing others and managing relationships effectively. Possessing these skills means that a diplomat can control their feelings and emotions, assess situations objectively and without excessive reactions, enabling them to manage their responses calmly and wisely, in addition to understanding the feelings of those around them and interacting with them flexibly. A diplomat with emotional intelligence can build strong and sustainable relationships with international partners, which helps in articulating themselves effectively during negotiations to achieve common goals. Applying emotional intelligence in diplomacy gives diplomats the ability to manage complex situations more efficiently and foster long-term relationships with other countries. Emotional intelligence also includes adaptability, as a diplomat must possess the flexibility to modify their behavior and approach according to cultural contexts and the personalities they are dealing with, which aids in navigating the different cultures encountered during negotiations. Moreover, emotional intelligence is not a static skill; it can be developed through training and continuous practice. Therefore, diplomats should enhance this skill through training courses and workshops focusing on improving communication skills and emotional regulation. In summary, emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in enhancing diplomatic relationships, warranting diplomats’ focus on developing and effectively applying these skills in their professional lives.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it cannot be denied that emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role in enhancing the performance of diplomats in today’s complex and interconnected world. As challenges facing international relations increase, the ability to understand oneself and others becomes essential for building bridges of communication and managing crises effectively. A diplomat with emotional intelligence skills not only resolves conflicts but also works to build sustainable relationships based on mutual understanding and respect. Therefore, developing this skill is not an option but an indispensable necessity for anyone striving to excel in the field of diplomacy.

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SAKHRI Mohamed
SAKHRI Mohamed

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations in addition to a Master's degree in International Security Studies. Alongside this, I have a passion for web development. During my studies, I acquired a strong understanding of fundamental political concepts and theories in international relations, security studies, and strategic studies.

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