Born Leaders
Are leaders born or made? Here is a good case for the helpfulness of business coaching:
In an recently re-printed article from Harvard Business Review (Nov-Dec 1998), Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, allows that IQ and technical skills are important, but Emotional Intelligence is what distinguishes true leaders in business.
Qualities that count include:
- self awareness
- self regulation
- motivation
- empathy
- social skill
Everyone has varying levels of each of these skills, Goleman says, but you can improve them through “persistence, practice, and feedback from colleagues or coaches.”
We just had a discussion here at Charting Dreams whether a leader is needed in a small partnership business (like ours). Sam says no; I say yes…but I think we could settle on this agreement; that on any given day leadership must come from one or the other partner. Every project or undertaking really must have one stronger advocate to mold it and make sure it gets done.
Regardless of the structure of your business, the message to individuals is this: to get ahead, you must be at least capable in each of the above areas of Emotional Intelligence. Even if you are not “The Leader,” these qualities will allow you to do your work with effectiveness and support from your team. Furthermore, it’s never too late to acquire these traits.
Photo by Edward Curtis, 1908 “White Shield”
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