Daniel Goleman: How to use Emotional Intelligence to Achieve an Optimal State Every Day

The Art of Excellence

Daniel Goleman is a psychologist, former science journalist for the New York Times, and the author of 13 books including the #1 bestseller Emotional Intelligence. He has worked with organizations around the globe, examining the way social and emotional competencies impact the bottom-line. Ranked one of the 10 most influential business thinkers by the Wall Street Journal, Daniel has won several awards including the HBR McKinsey Award for the best article of the year and the Centennial Medallion awarded to him by Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. His latest book which is titled: Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day shows how emotional intelligence can help us have rewarding and productive days every day.

Some interesting insights from this episode:

· There are four parts to emotional intelligence: Self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship management. The latter builds on the first three parts.

· There are three kinds of empathy – cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and empathic concern.

· When you’re in an optimal state, you’re highly productive, highly engaged, you care about others, you feel connected to your work, and connected to others.

· The ability to focus is one of the pathways into the optimal state.

· People who have a sense of purpose and feel inspired in their work, do it better.

· It’s never too late to increase your level of emotional intelligence.

· In emotionally intelligent organizations, it’s not just about hitting your targets but how you went about it. Did you get them by inspiring people to give their best or was it by fear and pressure?

· Team EI is how people on a team relate to one another. And teams with highest team EI are often the most productive.

Notes:

Optimal: How to Sustain Personal and Organizational Excellence Every Day

Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ

Daniel Goleman website

Emotional Intelligence Courses