Emotional Intelligence

In today's tech world the most important  ingredient is people. A big part of our makeup is our emotions. Here's  a great article from my friend Maureen on improving emotional intelligence skills. 
Peace out,
Ben

http://www.metcalf-associates.com/

As leaders, one of the best ways to manage the uncertainty of today's marketplace, is to proactively seek ways to enhance our leadership skills. Developing emotional intelligence is one way to increase our resilience and ability to navigate uncertainty and complexity. 

Emotional Intelligence

According to Daniel Goleman, "Emotional competence made the crucial difference between mediocre leaders and the best.  On average, close to 90 percent of their success in leadership was attributable to emotional intelligence.  

Emotional intelligence is often defined as, "the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions"  by Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer (1990).

• To enhance your emotional intelligence you may consider investing time doing the following:
• Quiet reflection  which can range from traditional meditation, prayer, chanting through a walk in the woods.
• Self care including being mindful of healthy eating and getting sufficient sleep as often as possible.
• Exercising regularly is a great way to maintain our energy level and also "burn off" the negative chemicals that are released into our bodies when we feel stressed.
• Cultivating friendships with people who offer support and kindness and give us an opportunity to give back.  Friendship with pets counts - walk a dog or pet a cat until it purrs.
• Being grateful  Remember 5 things we are grateful for every day.  This seems so simple yet this simple act can shift our perspective.  When we feel bad - remember those who have less.
• Taking the perspective of the other  when in conflict with another person, imagine what they may feel.  I find that when I look through their eyes, the world may look different than I imagined from my vantage point.
• Serving others often makes us feel our best - even if very small for someone else.  Some days I may only have time to give a smile and that may be enough to improve my day and theirs.

While this list is not comprehensive, it does reflect activities everyone can do and that will provide relatively quick benefits.




Sincerely,

Maureen Metcalf
 http://www.metcalf-associates.com/
Metcalf & Associates, Inc.
Creating Strategic Value with Level 5 Leaders