Archive for December, 2007

One of the biggest blocks to emotional intelligence and effective communication is emotional reactivity. You know how it is, you have all the best of intentions to have a productive communication with somebody and they say the “wrong thing” – the thing that pushes your “hot button.” Often it can be a criticism, or a [...]

When I was an MBA student at the Harvard Business School, professors rewarded strategic thinking. I excelled in strategic thinking and was therefore able to do well even though I was poor in math. In each case we needed to clarify what really mattered to an executive and the company. I could do this exceptionally [...]

Marshall Goldsmith, renowned executive coach, has a new book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful [Hyperion, 2007]. Marshall synthesizes the 21 “bad habits” that hold leaders back from achieving even further success, including making destructive comments, speaking when angry, negativity, failing to give proper recognition, playing [...]

Here is a true story about the importance of seeking the big picture. In a chemical plant, the night operations manager discovered that the end product had changed from a vanilla color to pitch black. This was terrible. They could never sell this stuff. He ran around checking all the gauges to discover the problem. [...]

On the job we need to have both power and caring. Consider this quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic.” What thoughts does this quote prompt in you? Your answers will be more [...]

Knowing What They Want is part of Emotional Intelligence. When I was an MBA student at the Harvard Business School, marketing professors kept saying, “Know what business you are in!” That seems obvious on the face of it. However, seeing below the surface is the trick. For example, if you answered, “In this case, the [...]

Primal leadership frees the best in people. Daniel Goleman in his book, Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence, Harvard Business School Press, 2002, on p ix, asserts that, “The fundamental task of leaders, we argue, is to prime good feeling in those they lead. That occurs when a leader creates resonance — a [...]

I noticed that my alma mater, the Harvard Business School, started publishing articles and books in 2001 on emotional intelligence in leadership. I recommend to you my favorite of HBS Press, Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman, et. al. A shorter, good publication from HBS Press is: “Best of HBR [...]

Hello and welcome from William R. Murray, President of Eagle Alliance Executive Coaching – http://www.eaglealliance.com. On this blog site, you can get Tips on leadership and professional work based on emotional intelligence. These Tips can give you new perspectives that help you solve problems and enhance your leadership. If you have not already done so, [...]