Army Commander Major General Dele Arogundade has urged the Nigerian military and government agencies to prioritize social and emotional intelligence as essential components of effective leadership.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Senior Executive Course 47/2025 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State, Arogundade emphasized that these skills are fundamental to success in strategic leadership positions.
“Emotional intelligence is not a luxury for leaders, but a necessity,” said Arogundade during his lecture titled “Emotional and Social Intelligence: Critical Skillset for Strategic Leaders.”
“Leaders who understand and manage their emotions and effectively navigate social interactions achieve consistently better outcomes than those who rely solely on technical expertise.”
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The Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in Auchi, who is also a Chartered Emotional Intelligence professional, detailed the key components of emotional intelligence and highlighted warning signs of deficiencies in these critical skills.
Arogundade presented practical strategies for enhancing leadership effectiveness, including techniques to develop self-awareness, build empathy, and improve communication with colleagues at all levels of an organization.
“The ability to understand perspectives different from your own is what separates good leaders from great ones,” Arogundade explained. “When we cultivate empathy within our ranks, we create environments where innovation and collaboration flourish.”
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To institutionalize these competencies across Nigeria’s public service, the Major General recommended implementing widespread awareness campaigns in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and adopting 360-degree feedback systems for more comprehensive leadership evaluation and development.
The lecture, which forms part of the foundational curriculum for the executive course, concluded with an engaging discussion session that demonstrated the participants’ keen interest in applying these principles to strategic leadership challenges.
