A President With Emotional Intelligence?
July 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Will the next US President be a model of emotional intelligence. We can hope so and it looks like Obama is getting credit for his EQ skill now.
People say he demonstrates one of the aspects of empathy: Validating others.
In other word, he “gets” them; and they love it. Recall for yourself a time when you really were totally understood and”gotten.” Isn’t it a great feeling experience?
Having the skill of listenting with mind and body to thoughts and feelings of others and gaining insight into thier needs and concerns is part of that skill.
The other part is vlaiding people and giving them the experiencing of being “hear” and understood without judgement.
Our possible future US president seems to be doing that. By the way - he’s got my vote.
Joseph Liberti
“That old skill that Obama honed at the Harvard Law Review of listening until everyone at the table felt they had been heard (and agreed with) is coming in handy on his presidential dress rehearsal.” Maureen Dowd NY Times
link: Op-Ed Columnist - Is ‘The One’ Cocky or Commander in Chiefy? - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com
Emotional Intelligence Key To Successful Meetings
July 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
A key ingredient in creating succcessful meetings is emotional intelligence.
It’s no secret employees dread going to yet another in a seemingly endless series of meetings where “we never seem to make any progress.” Meeting experts say this can change:
Q. Once you’ve decided that a meeting is necessary, how can you make sure it is successful?
Two main ingredients are needed, Mr. Kaye said. First, the leader needs to cultivate “a safe environment, so that people feel creative and candid enough to express useful ideas.” Second, there must be methodical progress that leads to results. link: Career Couch - Another Meeting? Say It Isn’t So - Interview - NYTimes.com
Creating a safe environment that fosters creative, candid sharing requires a leader to use the emotional skill of transparency. By demonstrating being open and transparent and by honestly sharing feelings as well as thoughts in a vuulnerable way, the leader sets a context of safety and makes it possible for others to join in and do the same.
For more insight, listen to my recent podcast Transparency: Touch Hearts and Minds
Meeting experts also reccomend doing one of the things we teach participants in our Whole Leader Training “Ask more; Tell less.”
Joseph Liberti
EQ At Work
