The absence of emotional intelligence is not a USP

Goleman (1999), makes the point that, "(what you learned at school) is just a threshold competence; you need it to get in the field, but it does not make you a star. It is emotional intelligence abilities that matter for superior performance..." (p.19). In his 1996 book, 'Emotional Intelligence', Goleman cites pre-eminent neurologist and neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, who stated "feelings are typically indispensable for rational decisions; they point us in the proper direction, where dry logic can than be of best use... the emotional brain is as involved in reasoning as is the thinking brain..." (p.28).

If these authors are correct, emotions are not only necessary for proper decision-making and superior performance, they are indispensable. Consequently, claiming to 'disregard emotion', as the ad states, does not seem to be such a hot idea. This, however, can still be forgiven, if the ad means to target those ignorant folk who see emotional intelligence as an oxymoron and that anything to do with emotions will result in poorly informed decision making, particularly if it comes to taking care of their hard-earned cash. Well, for them, ignorance is bliss!

A matter that, however, remains problematic, is the claim that emotions can be 'disregarded' - interpreted as meaning that emotions can be completely blocked-out, put aside, through the power of the conscious mind or will. This claim is simply incorrect, because the very thoughts that are applied to control or 'disregard' emotions, are themselves influenced by emotions. In his book, 'Looking for Spinoza', Antonio Damasio (2004) takes this further by stating: "...the emotional signal can operate under the radar of consciousness. It can produce alterations in working memory, attention and reasoning so that the decision-making process is biased toward selecting the action most likely to lead to the best possible outcome, given prior experience. The individual may not ever be cognizant of this covert operation. In these conditions we intuit a decision and react on it speedily and efficiently, without any knowledge of the intermediate steps..." (p. 148ff.)

Working memory and attention, I may add, involve the concurrent and flexible manipulation of various pieces of information - which together with decision-making, seems quite necessary to do 'research' and make good investment choices. Personally, I'd be a bit worried if my broker claimed to disregard emotion, bearing in mind that EQ rather than 'pure' IQ is increasingly becoming a key criterion in recruitment.

So, ladies and gentlemen of the ad agency, this advertisement is not doing your client any favours, at least if we accept the considered opinion of experts on emotion and reason. Bringing intelligence to emotions in research and investment rather than claiming to disregard them as a weakness, would be a USP that could serve Allan Gray well and create salience for this brand in an environment that sees dry reason and logic as the ultimate pinnacle of excellence.

Sources:
Damasio, (2004): Looking for Spinoza. London, Vintage;
Goleman, (1999): Working with emotional Intelligence. London, Bloomsbury;
Goleman, (1996): Emotional Intelligence. London, Bloomsbury.