Much of what has been written about, and researched on emotional intelligence has been positive. Indeed, there is a large body of scientific evidence that points to emotional intelligence is associated with positive job performance outcomes . Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage emotions for personal and professional success; it is a set of skills relating to perceiving emotions in self and others, regulating emotions, and using emotions towards achieving set goals. But what if such skills could also be used for less than wholesome, or more self-serving intentions? Consider a manager who regulates his emotional expressions with the intention of manipulating a junior colleague. The manager does so by using emotional appeals – blackmailing and guilt-tripping a junior executive to engage in unethical practices by expressing disappointment, knowing that the junior executive would do almost anything to gain his approval. Or consider a senior executive, who disguises feelings of insecurity by repeatedly seeking feedback from her team members. Such requests are made in an effort to present herself as being high on self-awareness, when in fact, she is looking for constant affirmation and validation from those around her.
What research we have about these possible ‘dark sides’ of emotional intelligence is overshadowed by the predominantly positive perspectives we have of the skill. There is, however, good reason to suggest that individuals who are skilled in emotional intelligence can also make use of this ability in a strategic manner – but for negative or self-serving purposes. For instance, researchers in one study showed that individuals who are more skilled regulating their emotions are also more likely to engage in interpersonally deviant behaviour when they were also high on trait Machiavellianism. That is, if an individual already has a tendency towards manipulating others for personal gain (i.e. high Machiavellianism), then being skilled in emotion regulation skills results can motivate them to engage in behaviours aimed at serving their own personal interest at the expense of others. Such behaviours include spreading rumours at work, making obscene or inappropriate comments towards others, to even intentionally delaying progress on one’s work. The researchers from this study suggest that knowing how to regulate one’s emotions may encourage individuals to act less prosocially at work .
There may be a reason why this particular facet – the ability to regulate emotions, is of particular interest in understanding the dark side of emotional intelligence. If an individual can modulate, change, and alter their own emotional states, it makes it easier to convince others around them. Researcher Martin Kilduff, for instance, argues that this ability is associated with at least three ‘dark-side’ tactics – it allows to individual to (1) disguise/express emotions for personal gain, (2) stir and shape others’ emotions or (3) strategically control emotion-laden information . Consider again the example of the manager blackmailing the junior executive in the opening vignette. This manager used an emotional appeal to rouse guilt in his target, with the knowledge (emotion-laden information) that junior executive wishes to avoid his disappointment and obtain his approval.
Observations of charismatic leaders who influence their followers, to accounts of colleagues who exploit others’ empathy in others to attain favours or concessions are just two additional examples of the dark side of emotional intelligence in action. It may not be all that unusual to say that these individuals are skilled in the regulation of their emotions, and know how to strategically express for more self-serving aims. The outcomes and consequences of these behaviours, are, however, less than ideal, harming relationships and morale of others, and at work, disrupting team goals. Emotional intelligence does have a dark side – and in the hands in individuals with certain predispositions, formal power, and intimate knowledge of others, can be used for nefarious purposes.