Prioritise Emotional Intelligence & Crisis Management In Top B-Schools.

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Emotional Intelligence & Crisis Management In Top B-Schools

15 Dec 2022
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- Student Careers
B School, Management

The world has lurched through a series of crises that has challenged the normal. Businesses are grappling with situations that were unforeseen and without precedent. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the Ukraine war, the situations led to global decisions that were aimed to mitigate the impact of the resulting chaos. As we manage the difficult situations, we now face a looming recession that threatens to disrupt the world order. The new age managers are not equipped to deal with this disruption to their businesses brought about by extraneous circumstances beyond their control.

What is then the way forward to tackle emerging situations that have no text book or contextual solutions? How does management evolve and transition through this period?

The answer lies in soft skills that go beyond conventional management learning. Aspiring managers need to be geared up to tackle crises not by merely conjuring the optimal response, for there isn’t any. Rather than look to manage public perception the way forward is to look at a holistic handling that requires leadership skills beyond the normal. The real test of managerial leadership goes beyond conventional management styles and looks at certain key skills that would define the manager’s credentials as a true leader. While there is no manual that can guide the leader through a crisis. Each crisis is unique in its own way, and throws up challenges that require the manager to navigate with a different approach. Crises are unpredictable and there is no given as to its duration.

B-schools are building their students to be extra resilient and flexible in keeping with the rapidly changing and dynamic scenarios. One of the key skills that is important in crisis management has been identified as developing emotional intelligence in students pursuing their MBA courses

Read and learn the way forward to tackle emerging situations that have no text book or contextual solutions. Here’s how the management evolves and transitions through this period.

What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)? How Can It Help During A Crisis ?

EI is a two way process that allows the individual to use his emotions to perceive, understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. The integral part is for the individual to be able to recognize, manage, and express emotions himself.

For business leaders, EI enables them to confront organisational issues with patience, insight, and imagination. The level of emotional intelligence a manager has helps him to navigate interpersonal relationships judiciously and practice empathy. Particularly in times of crisis, EI allows managers to think rationally and temper emotions with patience and understanding. Managers practise good decision-making, and tend to foster positive interpersonal relationships.

B-Schools are increasingly integrating “soft skills” or “hidden curriculum” as part of their teaching methodology. This involves learning or getting exposed to implicit academic, social and cultural messages, or unwritten rules and unspoken expectations. Thus, the act of teaching becomes relational rather than contextual. Teaching management students competencies of self-awareness, active listening, patience, and emotional control makes them more adept to tackle the upheaval during a crisis. This allows for better learning, fosters relationships, promotes academic success, and independence.

Some emotional intelligence competencies that help navigate a crisis –
- Empathy – It is important for the manager to establish an environment where team members are secure to ask questions and voice objections. In organizations, this is key to successful team building.
- Adaptability – Having the foresight and fortitude to make tough decisions with confidence defines the manager with emotional intelligence. Possessing essential traits like resilience, agility, and adaptability help the manager to tide over a crisis effectively.
- Compassion – Effective managers not only keep organizational interests in mind but also consider fulfilling others’ needs. Having goals are not singular but considering the broader effects of their actions makes them adept at tackling crisis effectively.
- Relationship Management – An emotionally intelligent manager should look at a shared vision to find followers. If subordinates believe that they share their goals, beliefs and expectations with the leaders, they tend to follow willingly. This helps the manager in crisis management through a joint and concerted effort.
- Self-control – Having self control reflects in a calm exterior to others. This is critical in addressing a crisis and does not project concerns on others.
For business leaders, EI enables them to confront organizational issues with patience, insight, and imagination. It allows managers to think rationally and temper emotions with patience and understanding. B-Schools are increasingly integrating “soft skills” or “hidden curriculum” as part of their teaching methodology.

How Is Emotional Intelligence And Crisis Management Getting Integrated In The MBA Curriculum At SOIL

In the modern business management era, emotional intelligence is a crucial element in leadership. This makes the practitioner better equipped to handle crises as and when they arise. SOIL has been integrating and building specific focus on humanities and liberal arts into its MBA programme. The management paradigm at SOIL focuses on integrating conceptual, analytical and technical skills with social leadership aspects. The thought behind this is to develop business leaders adept at not only solving business problems and decision making but also a continuous focus on solving major socio economic problems.

The MBA at SOIL looks to focus on achieving a balance between financial and social objectives of business. Thus, a lot of importance is placed on non-class room learning as the idea is to influence students towards social sensitivity.

The pandemic led to a change in the approach to learning at SOIL. The continually evolving curriculum led to a greater exposure to situations and live projects led by faculty guidance and industry mentors to provide exposure to business uncertainties, risks and other emergent issues. Though conventional classroom sessions continue to dominate learning of conceptual skills, there is an eagerness to learning from live situations.

The MBA at SOIL places a major emphasis on experiential learning to help students create an impact not only for their organizations, but also for the community. This is to keep in sync with the thinking amongst its students and the corporate world to prioritize impact over mere financial results.

Experiential learning helps to develop critical soft skills in students that find greater appeal with prospective employers. Skills such as project management and teamwork are developed and a holistic approach equips the student to lean towards community impact thereby leading to long term survival and growth for the business.

Experiential learning at SOIL follows two tracks that focus on the student’s career growth and leadership potential:
- Industry Experiential – where students interact with the Industry through activities, project work and internships to provide them with exposure and a platform to develop networks.
- Leadership Experiential – This is the unique track that offers the student to develop their leadership potential through community work and in the bargain develop their emotional quotient.
The development of the student is built on the edifice of students implementing their learnings while being engaged in projects or working at an NGO. At the end of the day, it is not just about the academics, but the grooming of well-rounded individuals who will be ready to take up management roles to tackle situations out of the ordinary.

Though conventional classroom sessions continue to dominate learning of conceptual skills, there is an eagerness to learning from live situations. The MBA courses at SOIL place a major emphasis on experiential learning to help students create an impact not only for their organizations, but also for the community.

Summing Up

A business organizations response in a crisis is dependent on its leaders and their ability to display emotional intelligence. If managers and leaders in organizations are not equipped with EI, there may be chaotic situations threatening business survival. Developing EI through practical situations is the way forward and gives organizations and their ecosystem an added layer of confidence. The idea is for learning at the MBA to integrate and develop managers for the future who have the ability to show empathy, self-awareness, and self-control.

The time has come for the b-schools to prioritize emotional intelligence and crisis management as a learning track. This is the time when EI is equally important than IQ in management education. As the world grapples with crises, it would assume greater importance in the times to come.

If managers and leaders in organizations are not equipped with EI, there may be chaotic situations threatening business survival. Developing EI through practical situations is the way forward and gives organizations and their ecosystem an added layer of confidence.

FAQs
What is Emotional Intelligence?

EI is a two way process that allows the individual to use his emotions to perceive, understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. The integral part is for the individual to be able to recognize, manage, and express emotions himself.

How to tackle emerging situations that have no text book or contextual solutions?

Rather than look to manage public perception the way forward is to look at a holistic handling that requires leadership skills beyond the normal. The real test of managerial leadership goes beyond conventional management styles and looks at certain key skills that would define the manager’s credentials as a true leader.

How do the management evolve and transition through this period?

While there is no manual that can guide the leader through a crisis. Each crisis is unique in its own way, and throws up challenges that require the manager to navigate with a different approach. Crises are unpredictable and there is no given as to its duration.

B-schools are building their students to be extra resilient and flexible in keeping with the rapidly changing and dynamic scenarios. One of the key skills that is important in crisis management has been identified as developing emotional intelligence in students pursuing their MBA courses at top B-schools.

What are some of the emotional intelligence competencies that help navigate a crisis?

Emotional intelligence competencies that help navigate a crisis –

Empathy

Adaptability

Compassion

Relationship Management

Self-control

How does the School Of Inspired Leadership integrate EI and crisis management in its MBA curriculum?

The pandemic led to a change in the approach to learning at SOIL. The MBA at SOIL places a major emphasis on experiential learning to help students create an impact not only for their organizations, but also for the community.

Experiential learning at SOIL follows two tracks that focus on the student’s career growth and leadership potential:

Industry Experiential – where students interact with the Industry through activities, project work and internships to provide them with exposure and a platform to develop networks.

Leadership Experiential – This is the unique track that offers the student to develop their leadership potential through community work and in the bargain develop their emotional quotient.

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What is Emotional Intelligence?

How to tackle emerging situations that have no text book or contextual solutions?

How do the management evolve and transition through this period?

What are some of the emotional intelligence competencies that help navigate a crisis?

How does the School Of Inspired Leadership integrate EI and crisis management in its MBA curriculum?

Never miss a beat. Get Blog updates regularly in your inbox

PGDM Batch 2025-27 Orientation Start Date - 20th June 2025

What is Emotional Intelligence?

How to tackle emerging situations that have no text book or contextual solutions?

How do the management evolve and transition through this period?

What are some of the emotional intelligence competencies that help navigate a crisis?

How does the School Of Inspired Leadership integrate EI and crisis management in its MBA curriculum?

Never miss a beat. Get Blog updates regularly in your inbox

PGDM Batch 2025-27 Orientation Start Date - 20^th June 2025