Many leaders tend to be competitive, hard-driving people. They have high intellectual IQs, but sometimes their emotional IQs lag behind. I coached one manager, let’s call him George, who had been one of the most successful salespeople at a financial services company. He’d been promoted to manager and was poised to move up to the next level. But as I worked with him, I quickly saw that he lacked the ability to connect well with others. One of the …
Life is not easy. We all have to face severe challenges, including illness and loss. Sometimes these events can devastate an individual or even a whole family. At other times the process of overcoming the adversity can lead to personal growth and development. How we manage these challenges often determines how well we will live our lives. Ann Arbor author and my friend, Jim Tobin, has made a career of writing biographies about people who have had to face …
Last week, Ross Business School professor, Dr. Wayne Baker, gave an excellent presentation about his new book, United America, at my monthly Leaders Connect Breakfast. Contrary to the prevailing view that America is divided by significant differences between various groups, Baker’s research provides surprising truth about American values and identity. United America shows that Americans are united by a set of ten values. “Americans may seem to be hopelessly divided, but United America shows that Americans are united by …
Many of my clients participate in one of my Leadership Roundtables. One of the topics I hear about most from them is how difficult it is for them to have conversations about their careers with their bosses. While they are eager to get feedback and recognition, they often feel awkward about seeking it directly. In response, I remind them about one of the basic laws of reciprocity: Ask first what you could do for another, before asking them to …
When I was teaching in the late 60’s at PS145 in Harlem, I started all of my classes by emphasizing the concepts of respect and being proud of your name. Each morning, kids would greet me with “Yo, Mr. Pasick.” I would ask them, what was the most important thing you can do today and they would respond in unison “Respect yourself, and respect others.” Next, I would go around the room and ask each of them to say …
Based on your feedback and discussions with students, I (along with my teaching assistant Dante Vasquez) have decided on a format for my UofM Ross Class for juniors and seniors on “Managing Professional Relationships”. Emotional intelligence will be the key focus of the curriculum. Why EQ? Research shows that EQ is the best predictor of success in the work place. According to Travis Bradley, author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, their research has found that “90% of top performers are …