EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE & BEHAVIORAL STYLES
If you stepped into a room with posters of a MONKEY, LION, OWL and ST. BERNARD and were asked to stand next to the one that you most identified with which one would YOU go to? In the Leadership Discovery and Navigation classes on Emotional Intelligence and Behavior Styles, participants took part in this exercise. It was fascinating to see how selection of an animal revealed so much about individual behavior styles – how we see ourselves, our strengths, our frustrations and our perceptions of others. This was all done in just a few minutes!
Through the power of storytelling, facilitators from Seraphim Consulting & Training Solutions, Linda Callecod and Jamila Page, illustrated the important role emotional intelligence and behavior styles play in the interactions we have with others. Knowing when to flex your style and to rotate the iceberg can make all the difference in organizational and personal success.
Here are a few reflections from our 2012 participants:
From Erik Williamson, Weyerhaeuser Company, Puget Sound Leadership Discovery:
“I have always been an advocate of understanding your own personal behavioral style. This allows you to capitalize on your strengths and improve upon and be aware of your opportunity areas. It also gives you an understanding of how you tend to think and react in different situations. In our April session, along with learning about our own behavioral styles, we learned how to identify and adapt to other people’s styles. Now when working with others I have a better understanding of where they are coming from and what their preferences are. This allows me to tailor my actions and behavior to complement theirs and ultimately work together in a more effective and efficient way.”
From Paul Sohn, The Boeing Company, Portland Leadership Discovery:
PERSPECTIVES ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE from EDI’s Leadership Development Program
(an excerpt from Paul’s blog)
EQ vs. IQ at Workplace: The reality in our current workplace shows, rather sharply, the disconnect between EQ and IQ. Think about the company that you currently work for. Were you primarily hired based on your cognitive skills and technical capabilities or your interpersonal capabilities, or simply people skills? The truth of the matter is pedigree and track records outlined in your resume has a lot to do with your IQ. What you may not know is that IQ is a threshold competence. You need it, but it isn’t what makes you a star performer. What truly propels you to be a star performer originates from your people and interpersonal capabilities (EQ). I wonder how many people have fully appreciated this fact and have embraced developing themselves as an EQ leader.
Power of Storytelling: People are naturally hardwired for stories. If you think about the so-called greatest figures that made a dent in this universe, all of them had a compelling story to tell. These are very stories that stick in our mind. I witness such power of storytelling at the first EDI session. Each of the stories by Jamila our guest speaker were punctuated with such authenticity, vulnerability. I found myself absolutely engrossed in her superlative performance of weaving stories into the tapestry of emotional intelligence captivating each person in the room.
The secret ingredient of such powerful stories stems its ability to galvanize people to “act” – break the old time habit, to initiate new changes for growth and development, and to embrace a calculated and healthy risk in our decision making process. At least, Jamila inspired me to uncover the tip of the self-awareness iceberg through this my sobering reflections and writings.
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