A Perspective on Emotional Intelligence

PERSPECTIVES ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE from EDI Leadership Development Program 

-          EQ vs. IQ at Workplace: The reality in our current workplace shows, rather sharply, the disconnect between EQ and IQ. Think about the company that you currently work for. Were you primarily hired based on your cognitive skills and technical capabilities or your interpersonal capabilities, or simply people skills? The truth of the matter is pedigree and track records outlined in your resume has a lot to do with your IQ. What you may not know is that IQ is a threshold competence. You need it, but it isn’t what makes you a star performer. What truly propels you to be a star performer originates from your people and interpersonal capabilities (EQ). I wonder how many people have fully appreciated this fact and have embraced developing themselves as an EQ leader.  

o   Here are two books that are worth the $$ if you are seriously interested in honing your EQ:

§  Daniel Goleman’s Primal Leadership

§  Emotional Intelligence 2.0

o   If you would like to learn more about how to integrate EQ in a group or team setting, click here to read this informative Harvard Business Review article
o   Science of Emotion from Neurotransmitters to Social Network
o   YouTube Resources: 
     - Authors@Google: Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence (full video)
     - Keith Ferrazzi: World's foremost expert in Relationship Development

-          Power of Storytelling:  People are naturally hardwired for stories. If you think about the so-called greatest figures that made a dent in this universe, all of them had a compelling story to tell. These are very stories that stick in our mind. I witness such power of storytelling at the first EDI session. Each of the stories by Jamila our guest speaker were punctuated with such authenticity, vulnerability. I found myself absolutely engrossed in her superlative performance of weaving stories into the tapestry of emotional intelligence captivating each person in the room.

The secret ingredient of such powerful stories stems its ability to galvanize people to “act” -  break the old time habit, to initiate new changes for growth and development, and to embrace a calculated and healthy risk in our decision making process. At least, Jamila inspired me to uncover the tip of the self-awareness iceberg through this my sobering reflections and writings.

Power of Storytelling on Prezi

Ryan Lobo is a filmmaker and photographer. In 2009 Ryan spoke about what he calls "compassionate storytelling" with photography to the TED conference, to a standing ovation. Click to see the following video clip to see how he delivers his compelling story.