Why Leaders Fail

Earlier today, I sat in on an EXCELLENT seminar, given by the PMI Diversity special interest group (SIG). I try to make a living by project management, usually in a software technology company or on a software development project, so I'll take any advice that will help me do by job better or easier.

Tom Mattus, President and Co-Founder of Successful Strategies International, Inc. (SSI) gave the dynamic presentation “Why Leaders Fail”. Dynamic as in speaker style and topic. Tom was a great role model in how to give an engaging presentation. I definitely recommend looking into any of the seminars his company gives. You won't be bored unless you work hard at it.

The presentation hit the button with the 5 main reasons leaders fail. Three of the five are things that can be improved by experience. Self centeredness and untrustworthiness seem to be personality flaws, I don't see how they can be fixed as easily as some of the others. Interestingly enough, the presentation proposes that the failures of managers under a leader is demoralizing to all staff. Not just the personal failure of the individual who did not succeed. In reality, the person who failed is scapegoated as the bad seed. The goal is for them to take away the bad vibes when they leave.

There were a few slides on the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI), which was new to me. I got a phone call right as I was going to dial into the webinar, then my computer decided to act up, so I missed the part of EI part of the preso. So I looked up what it's all about on the web.

Just about every site I found on the topic referenced at least one of Daniel Goleman's books: Social Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ and Working with Emotional Intelligence, so I guess these are good places to start.

Emotional intelligence: a set of competencies that distinguishes how people manage feelings, interact, and communicate. Unlike IQ, emotional intelligence can keep growing--it continues to develop with life experiences. Understanding and raising your emotional intelligence is essential to your success and leadership potential. This book is an excellent resource for learning how to accomplish this.

Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our "two minds"—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.

The best news is that "emotional literacy" is not fixed early in life. Every parent, every teacher, every business leader, and everyone interested in a more civil society, has a stake in this compelling vision of human possibility.

EQ - Emotional Quotient by Business Balls,

Emotional Intelligence -EI by Wikiax.net, overview of the field and related psychology theories.

My Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ)

I found a free test on iVillage. Suprisingly I scored average. I thought I'd get the equivalent of "check yourself into the nearest institution before you hurt yourself or others". Here's my results. What did you get?

Emotional intelligence Research suggests that a person's emotional intelligence (EQ) might be a greater predictor of success than his or her intellectual intelligence (IQ), despite an assumption that people with high IQs will naturally accomplish more in life.

Emotional intelligence is a person's ability to understand their own emotions and those of others, and to act appropriately using these emotions.

You scored 75% correct!

Your score indicates that you have an average EQ.

People who typically score in this range are usually able to recognise and understand their feelings and to express them in an appropriate manner. They are fairly comfortable with who they are. In most circumstances they are not afraid to show love, empathy and compassion for other people. In general, they are comfortable with intimacy, and giving of themselves to other people.

They are pretty good communicators. They are fairly in tune with themselves and those around them. They generally know how to say the right thing at the right moment. They are good friends and partners. They are normally able to show anger in appropriate ways. More often than not, they are able to stand up for themselves when necessary, but also are not afraid to cry if they are hurt. They are able to admit when they are wrong and take steps to correct their mistakes. They are rarely unable to say they are sorry.

They are generally happy, well-rounded people. They accept challenges. They can stay motivated and focused in the face of setbacks. They are able to set goals for themselves and often achieve them. They are positive and optimistic about themselves, others around them, and their future.

However, just because people with an average EQ have a pretty good grasp on their emotions they still have plenty of room for emotional growth. They can continue to be introspective. They can continue to communicate with the people around them and continue to work on their goals. They can utilise what they have and continue to identify areas within themselves that need work.

Remember that a person's emotional intelligence never stops growing. Because we are always evolving as people, EQ is something that must be nurtured. If it isn?t cultivated, emotional intelligence will disappear.