What Do You Radiate?
Invisible, But Oh So Real…

    We all know from our days in science class that invisible fields exist all around us. One field—the electromagnetic field—occurs naturally, but is also generated by things like household appliances. An electromagnetic field grows stronger the closer you are to its source and it decreases in strength as you move away from that source. Can you sense a leadership principle or two or three or four coming?
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    People, like appliances, also radiate invisible fields. The affects of these fields increase the closer we get to each other. Leaders are notoriously shortsighted in their understanding of these fields. They emit all kinds of “vibes” that can diminish or enhance their effectiveness. Yet, often little to no attention is given to the intentional cultivation of these fields. Some leaders are too busy doing “important things” to pay attention to these "softer issues" (fields). Other leaders miss these opportunities because they are overly focused on task completion rather than on the all important relational aspects of leadership.

Emotional Intelligence: Invisible Human Field

Take a moment to ponder:

    Do you inspire the confidence of the people on your team?

    Are the people on your team afraid to risk because of your reactions to failure?

    Are you demeaning or sarcastic toward team members when you’re frustrated?

    Do people feel energized or deflated when you challenge or motivate them?

    How aware are you of people’s emotional state at any given moment?

    How aware of your emotional state are you at any given moment?

Would you alter your leadership based on the emotional state of your team, or your own emotional state?
How different or similar do you think your team’s answer would be to the above questions? (Maybe you should ask your team)

    Robert Cooper wrote in his excellent book, Executive EQ, “Emotional intelligence emerges not from the musings of rarefied intellect, but from the workings of the human heart.” Emotional intelligence has to do with our capacity for self and group awareness and our capability to express authentic presence, creativity and originality. Further, E.I. is about our ability to connect deeply with others in ways that inspires them to reach for their own potential as individuals and members of a team or organization.

more to come…