Recommended Book

Working With Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman

Book coverIn Working with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman reveals the skills that distinguish star performers in every field, from entry-level jobs to top executive positions. He shows that the single most important factor for personal success in one's life is not IQ, advanced degrees or technical expertise, but Emotional Intelligence or EQ. Self-awareness, self-confidence, self-control, commitment, integrity, the ability to communicate and influence, to initiate and accept change - these psychological competences are at a premium in today's job market. The higher up the leadership ladder you go, the more vital these skills of EQ become, often influencing who is hired or fired, passed over or promoted. As Goleman shows, we all possess the potential to improve our emotional intelligence - at any stage in our career. He also provides guidelines for cultivating these capabilities, and explains why corporate training must change if it is to be effective.

Editorial Review: Publishers Weekly

  • Applying the lessons of his bestselling study on emotional intelligence, Goleman has found that business success stems primarily from a workforce displaying initiative and empathy, adaptability and persuasiveness. These are key aspects of what he defines as Emotional Intelligence. He presents studies showing that IQ accounts for only between 4% and 25% of an individual's job success, whereas emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-regulation and motivation) is twice as important as purely cognitive abilities in the workplace. These findings alone should shake up human resource departments that hire based on how good someone looks on paper. In sections like Self-Mastery, People Skills and Social Radar, Goleman uses anecdotes from the corporate trenches (and from his lecture tours) to isolate qualities that are central to displays of emotional intelligence e.g., trustworthiness and empathy. These qualities, in turn, are broken down into sets of practices that can be internalized for improved emotional intelligence quotients e.g., act ethically and beyond reproach, respect and relate well to people from other backgrounds.