10 Harvard Business Review’s “Must Reads” on Emotional Intelligence

Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management––these are all familiar terms, but did you know that together these four components comprise “emotional intelligence?”

In our work at The Meeting House, we focus on emotional intelligence for children, but it’s also incredibly important for adults! It has become a key leadership skill in the workplace, and the most outstanding leaders routinely work on each of these areas of their professional development. These skills are so crucial to good leadership that the Harvard Business Review compiled and published "10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence".

"What Makes a Leader" by Daniel Goleman

Truly effective leaders are distinguished by a high level of emotional intelligence- but what is it? This article details self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.

"Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance" by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee

A leader’s mood is “quite literally contagious,” and affects the entire organization because emotions are carried through the workplace like electricity on a wire. Primal leadership means managing your mood, and therefore, the mood of all of your followers.

"Why It's So Hard to Be Fair" by Joel Brockner

Process fairness should be a top priority in businesses because it communicates organizational values, but it also shows “the art of the possible.”

"Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions" by Andrew Campbell, Jo Whitehead, and Sydney Finkelstein

Inevitably, even the best leaders make bad decisions. However, by injecting fresh experience or analysis, introducing further debate and challenge, and imposing stronger governance, bad decisions and their effects on the workplace can be minimized.

"Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups" by Vanessa Urch Druskat and Steve B. Wolff

Emotional intelligence is often seen in an individual capacity, but most of the work in organizations is done in teams. Teams, then, should work on developing three key areas: working with individuals’ emotions, regulating individuals’ emotions, and working with group emotions.

“The Price of Incivility: Lack of Respect Hurts Morale—and the Bottom Line” by Christine Porath and Christine Pearson

Incivility, or rudeness, at work can create a real problem in terms of productivity, creativity, and team spirit. Leaders can take steps to prevent incivility from occurring. Consistent civility in the workplace should not be a luxury!

"How Resilience Works"  by Diane Coutu

“More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails. That’s true in the cancer ward, it’s true in the Olympics, and it’s true in the boardroom.” This article is all about why some people falter when encountering hardship, why some don’t, and how to fall into the former category.

“Emotional Agility: How Effective Leaders Manage Their Negative Thoughts and Feelings” by Susan David and Christina Congleton

Many believe that you should never had difficult thoughts or feelings at work, and should completely separate the personal from the professional. But the most effective leaders are the ones who are mindful of their inner experiences, just not caught in them––this is called emotional agility, and it captures the ability to adapt and perform.

"Fear of Feedback"  by Jay M. Jackman and Myra H. Strober

If you feel that fear of failure holds you back in the workplace, this article is the best read for you. There are adaptive techniques to make your fear of feedback an asset, not a liability.  

"The Young and the Clueless" by Kerry A. Bunker, Kathy E. Kram, and Sharon Ting

Many young, talented managers lack the emotional competencies they need to succeed. Experience, reflection, feedback, and practice are all crucial in the development of leaders in the workplace, and must be tended to along one’s career path for ultimate success.