This month, I’ve decided to pull together some of the blogs and links that have taken my fancy.
I’m always on the lookout for stuff that will make life better, richer and more satisfying. I’m interested in leadership that does the same.
Here’s what’s floated my boat of late…
As thousands of teenagers go through the process of ‘Clearing’ A Level results in hand, it’s interesting to note that one of the world’s most prestigious business schools has signalled that tomorrow’s business leaders will need smarts AND soft skills.
For the first time ever, Yale Business School will be testing applicants for the MBA for Emotional Intelligence.
It was nearly twenty years ago that Daniel Goleman set the cat among the pigeons when he claimed that EQ was a better predictor of success in life than old school IQ. He’s still around and has interesting things to say.
In particular, I liked this LinkedIn article called ‘Put the Fish On The Table’ – about dealing with difference and conflict.
One of the reasons I like the fish metaphor is that it’s so physical. Conflict is something we respond to in our body.
In our work with The Creative Work Place, we often use cameras and video playback, precisely because of the insight that they can give to our physical responses. When people see themselves tensing jaw muscles, and hunching their shoulders, it becomes much easier to understand why the plan to have a quiet empathetic chat, just didn’t quite happen.
And of course that penny-dropping moment of awareness is a key factor in developing Emotional Intelligence.
But awareness isn’t just about a single moment of realisation, it’s the beginning of a habit of paying attention. Or as the Buddhists would have it, mindfulness.
Pam Weiss came to Wales to talk about mindfulness training at the Do Lectures. Here’s her thought-provoking take on leadership and mindfulness.
There’s beginning to be a body of research into the business value of mindfulness that I’m finding really useful in developing approaches to leadership development. Later this year, we’ll be involved in a research driven project with the Swansea Foundation, looking into the impact of this kind of training on people working in the private, public and third sectors. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes!
It’s certainly been helpful to make the connection between mindfulness and managing stress. Feeling a little stressed out? Check out the link.
