Smarticle Particles: Leveraging Emotional Intelligence for Organizational Performance within the Military

The purpose of this research was to explore the failure of some leaders within the Air Force Technical Applications Center to leverage emotional intelligence, resulting in a decrease in organizational performance. The participants included members who work for the Air Force Technical Applications Center. A small sample, representative of the larger agency population, comprised unspecified numbers who underwent observation, and 21 of the 2302 total personnel participated in the interviews. Data collection consisted of observations, interviews with personnel, and organizational archival data. Data analysis included qualitative analysis and analysis for triangulation. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data; 5 themes emerged: operational environment, the stigma associated with emotions and military members, resilience, transformation, and decision making. The study results indicated that when members of an organization do not understand a skill, such as emotional intelligence, they cannot wield it as effectively to enhance their decision-making and increase the organizational performance of their organization. The implementation for positive change includes the Air Force Technical Applications Center personnel can engage in a variety of potential implementation strategies to increase their emotional intelligence, thereby enhancing organizational performance and decision-making. Leaders considering strategies to implement for self-perception can look toward self-regard, self- actualization, and emotional self-awareness. Personnel who want to focus on self-expression can implement strategies to improve emotional expression, assertiveness, independence. Interpersonal managers can implement strategies on interpersonal relationships, empathy, and social responsibility.