What Makes a Leader

What Makes a Leader?

by Daniel Goleman The Idea in Brief What distinguishes great leaders from merely good ones? It isn’t IQ or technical skills, says Daniel Goleman. It’s emotional intelligence: a group of five skills that enable the best leaders to maximize their own and their followers’ performance. When senior managers at one company had a critical mass of EI capabilities, their divisions outperformed yearly earnings goals by 20%. The EI skills are: Self-awareness—knowing one’s strengths, weaknesses, drives, values, and impact on others Self-regulation—controlling or redirecting disruptive impulses and moods Motivation—relishing achievement for its own sake Empathy—understanding other people’s emotional makeup Social skill—building rapport with others to move them in desired directions We’re each born with certain levels of EI skills. But we can strengthen these abilities through persistence, practice, and feedback from colleagues or coaches. The Idea in Practice Understanding EI’s Components

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EI Component#Definition#Hallmarks#ExampleSelf-awareness#Knowing one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, drives, values, and goals—and their impact on others#Self-confidence*Realistic self-assessment*Self-deprecating sense of humor*Thirst for constructive criticism#A manager knows tight deadlines bring out the worst in him. So he plans his time to get work done well in advance.Self-regulation#Controlling or redirecting disruptive emotions and impulses#Trustworthines*Integrity*Comfort with ambiguity and change#When a team botches a presentation, its leader resists the urge to scream. Instead, she considers possible reasons for the failure, explains the consequences to her team, and explores solutions with them.Motivation#Being driven to achieve for the sake of achievement#A passion for the work itself and for new challenges*Unflagging energy to improve*Optimism in the face of failure#A portfolio manager at an investment company sees his fund tumble for three...