Working with Emotional Intelligence
by Daniel Goleman
Do you have what it takes to succeed in your career?
The secret of success is not what they taught you in school. What matters most is not IQ, not a business school degree, not even technical know-how or years of expertise. The single most important factor in job performance and advancement is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is actually a set of skills that anyone can acquire, and in this practical guide, Daniel Goleman identifies them, explains their importance, and shows how they can be fostered.
For leaders, emotional intelligence is almost 90 percent of what sets stars apart from the mediocre. As Goleman documents, it’s the essential ingredient for reaching and staying at the top in any field, even in high-tech careers. And organizations that learn to operate in emotionally intelligent ways are the companies that will remain vital and dynamic in the competitive marketplace of today—and the future.
Comprehensively researched, crisply written, and packed with fascinating case histories of triumphs, disasters, and dramatic turnarounds, Working with Emotional Intelligence may be the most important business book you’ll ever read.
Drawing on unparalleled access to business leaders around the world and studies in more than 500 organizations, Goleman documents an astonishing fact: in determining star performance in every field, emotional intelligence matters twice as much as IQ or technical expertise.
Readers also discover how emotional competence can be learned. Goleman analyzes five key sets of skills and vividly shows how they determine who is hired and who is fired in the top corporations in the world. He also provides guidelines for training in the “emotionally intelligent organization,” in chapters that no one, from manager to CEO, should miss.
Working with Emotional Intelligence could prove to be the most important reference for bottom-line business people in the first decades of the 21st century.
Power Listening: Mastering the Most Critical Business Skill of All
by Bernard T. Ferrari
Listening is harder than it looks- but it’s the difference between business success and failure.
Nothing causes bad decisions in organizations as often as poor listening. But Bernard Ferrari, adviser to some of the nation’s most influential executives, believes that such missteps can be avoided and that the skills and habits of good listening can be developed and mastered. He offers a step-by-step process that will help readers become active listeners, able to shape and focus any conversation.
Ferrari reveals how to turn a tin ear into a platinum ear. His practical insights include:
- Good listening is hard work, not a passive activity
- Good listening means asking questions, challenging all assumptions, and understanding the context of every interaction
- Good listening results in a new clarity of focus, greater efficiency, and an increased likelihood of making better decisions
- Good listening can be the difference between a long career and a short one