Wednesday, Feb 22, 2012
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Consciousness of Others

Demonstrating consciousness of others means being aware of and attuned to those with whom you are working. Leadership is not a solo activity — it’s based on relationships. Whether you think of a traditional leader-follower relationship or something more like a group of collaborators, the relationship among the people involved is essential.

Consciousness of others includes the ability to empathize, inspire, influence, and coach. Teamwork, dealing with conflict and differences, and learning how to work effectively with others to bring about change are all essential capacities of emotionally intelligent leadership. Because the setting and situation for leadership changes so often, many variables affect leadership. Therefore it’s essential that leaders learn how to work with others and incorporate them effectively in the leadership equation.

Where’s Practice?

Posted by scott in Developing Others, Leadership Resources Thursday, 8 December 2011 10:43 No Comments


As always, I have been experimenting this semester with ways to better develop leadership in the context of the classroom. As many of you know, this is a difficult task. The chasm between someone’s intellectual understanding of leadership concepts and their ability to “do” leadership is deep and wide. Why would we be surprised though? You will not create an expert soccer player by sitting them in a classroom and discussing the theory of soccer for a semester. That may be one part of the learning.

So I have been exploring ways to create a “practice-field” in the classroom and one of the best approaches is case-in-point methodology. However, this approach really does take a lot out of me. It’s unpredictable, intense, filled with ups and downs and in the end, high-risk (sounds just like leadership, right?). I know that the students feel the same. However, some of the greatest challenges associated with this approach are also its great strengths. Students are engaged, active, challenged and perhaps most important, practicing what they have learned.

The Kansas Leadership Center has developed a great resource on case-in-point that I feel warrants review. Take a look and run some experiments. See what works and what does not. We would love to hear your thoughts…SJA

Podcast with Bijan Ahmadian, University of British Columbia

Posted by scott in Capitalizing on Differences, Podcasts Sunday, 6 February 2011 19:44 No Comments

A few months ago, Peter Mello and I had the pleasure of talking with Bijan Ahmadian, President of the Alma Mater Society at the University of British Columbia. It was a fascinating conversation you will not want to miss. Check it out by clicking here. – SJA

Influence

Posted by scott in Influence Wednesday, 17 November 2010 13:04 No Comments

I came across the following quote by scholar Gary Yukl  and it has always stayed with me - “Influence is the essence of leadership, and much of the activity of formal leaders involves attempts to influence the attitudes and behavior of people, including subordinates, peers, superiors and outsiders.” Many would attest that leadership, at the heart, is about influencing others. I had a fun conversation with a colleague the other day and we were trying to determine the difference between influence, manipulate and/or persuade. What do you think? Are all tools a leader needs? Is one person’s “influence” another’s “manipulation”? – SJA

 

The EIL Suite

Image of Emotionally Intelligent Leadership for Students: Inventory

Capacities:

  • Authenticity
  • Capitalizing on Difference
  • Change Agent
  • Coaching
  • Conflict Management
  • Citizenship
  • Environmental Awareness
  • Group Savvy
  • Developing Relationships
  • Empathy
  • Influence
  • Inspiration
  • Teamwork
  • Achievement
  • Emotional Self-Control
  • Emotional Self-Perception
  • Flexibility
  • Honest Self-understanding
  • Healthy Self-esteem
  • Initiative
  • Optimism

Being transparent and trustworthy. Authenticity is a complex concept that emphasizes the importance of being trustworthy, transparent, and living in a way in which words match actions and vice versa. This is no small order.  Beingauthentic means, in part, that emotionally intelligent leaders follow through on commitments and present.

Found in: Consciousness of Self

Building on assets that come from differences with others. Capitalizing on difference suggests that differences are seen as assets, not barriers. Difference may mean race, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, or gender as well as ability, personality, or philosophy. When capitalized upon, these differences create a larger perspective — a more inclusive view. Emotionally intelligent leaders use these differences as an opportunity to help others grow, develop, and ultimately capitalize on them.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Seeking out and working with others toward new directions. As change agents, emotionally intelligent leaders look for opportunities for improvement or innovation — they think about possibilities and are future oriented. They see how change may benefit one person, an organization, or a whole community, and work to make this change happen.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Helping others enhance their skills and abilities. Emotionally intelligent leaders know that they cannot do everything themselves. They need others to become a part of the endeavor. Coaching is about intentionally helping others demonstrate their talent and requires the emotionally intelligent leader to prioritize the time to foster the development of others in the group — not just themselves.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Identifying and resolving problems and issues with others. Emotionally intelligent leaders understand that conflict is part of any leadership experience. When managed effectively, conflict can foster great innovation. At times conflict is overt and may involve anger, raised voices, or high
levels of frustration. Other times conflict is below the surface and shows itself only through cliques, side conversations, and apathy. Emotionally intelligent leaders are aware of these dynamics and work to manage them.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Recognizing and fulfilling your responsibility for others or the group. Emotionally intelligent leaders must be aware of what it means to be a part of something bigger than themselves. An essential component is to fulfill the ethical and moral obligations inherent in the values of the community. As a result, emotionally intelligent leaders know when to give of themselves for the benefi t of others and the larger group.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Thinking intentionally about the environment of a leadership situation. The larger system, or environment, directly influences an individual’s ability to lead.

Aspects of the environment affect the psychological and interpersonal dynamics of any human interaction. Emotionally intelligent leaders are in tune with a variety of factors such as community traditions and customs, the political environment, and major institutions (e.g., religion, government).

Found in: Consciousness of Context

Interpreting the situation and/or networks of an organization. Every group has written/unwritten rules, ways of operating, customs and rituals, power dynamics, internal politics, inherent values and so forth. Emotionally intelligent leaders know how to diagnose and interpret these dynamics. Demonstrating group savvy enables one to have a direct influence on the work of the group.

Found in: Consciousness of Context

Creating connections between, among, and with people. Developing relationships is a skill as well as a mind-set. This capacity requires emotionally intelligent leaders to build relationships and create a sense of trust and mutual interest. Simply put, individuals, groups, and organizations are stronger, smarter, and more effective when they are rooted in and facilitate positive relationships

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Understanding others from their perspective. Emotionally intelligent leadership and, more specifically, the capacity of empathy are about perceiving the emotions of others. When leaders display empathy, they have the opportunity to build healthier relationships, manage difficult  situations,and develop trust more effectively. Being empathetic requires an individual to have a high level of self – awareness as well as awareness of others.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Demonstrating skills of persuasion. Emotionally intelligent leaders have the ability to persuade others with information, ideas, emotion, behavior, and a strong commitment to organizational values and purpose. They involve others to engage in a process of mutual exploration and action.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Motivating and moving others toward a shared vision. Being perceived as an inspirational individual by others is an important capacity of emotionally intelligent leadership. Inspiration works through relationships. Effective leadership entails generating feelings of optimism and commitment to organizational goals through individual actions, words, and accomplishments.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Working effectively with others in a group. Emotionally intelligent leaders know how to work with others to bring out the best in each team member. By facilitating good communication, creating shared purpose, clarifying roles, and facilitating results, emotionally intelligent leaders foster group cohesion and truly develop a sense of togetherness that leads to desired results.

Found in: Consciousness of Others

Being driven to improve according to personal standards. An important nuance of this capacity is the role of personal standards. Individuals often know achievement when they see and feel it. Instead of letting others define what achievement looks like, emotionally intelligent leaders pursue their passions and goals to a self – determined level of accomplishment. This drive produces results and may inspire others to become more focused in their efforts or to work at increased levels as well.

Found in: Consciousness of Self

Consciously moderating your emotions and reactions. Although feeling emotions and being aware of them is part of this statement, so too is regulating them. Emotional self-control is about both awareness (being conscious of feelings) and action (managing emotions and knowing when and how to show them). Recognizing feelings, understanding how and when to demonstrate those feelings appropriately, and taking responsibility for one’s emotions (versus being victims of them) are critical components of this capacity.

Found in: Consciousness of Self

Identifying your emotions and reactions and their impact on you. Emotional self-perception means that individuals are acutely aware of their feelings (in real time). In addition, emotional self – perception means understanding how these feelings lead to behaviors. Having emotional self-perception also means that emotionally intelligent leaders have a choice as to how they respond. This capacity enables one to differentiate between the emotions felt and the actions taken. In most situations, both healthy and unhealthy responses are available.

Found in: Consciousness of Self

Being open and adaptive to changing situations. The best laid plans don’t always come to fruition, so emotionally intelligent leaders need to be responsive to change and open to feedback. By thinking creatively and using their problem – solving skills, emotionally intelligent leaders engage others in determining a new way to reach their goals.

Found in: Consciousness of Self

Being aware of your own strengths and limitations. Honest self- understanding means that an individual celebrates and honors their strengths and talents while acknowledging and addressing limitations. Honest self-understanding means accepting the good and bad about one’s personality, abilities, and ideas. When emotionally intelligent leaders demonstrate honest self-understanding, they embody a foundational capacity of effective leadership — the ability to see a more holistic self and understand how this impacts their leadership.

Found in: Consciousness of Self

Having a balanced sense of self. Emotionally intelligent leaders possess a high level of self-worth, are confident in their abilities, and are willing to stand up for what they believe in. They are also balanced by a sense of humility and the ability to create space for the opinions, perspectives, and thoughts of others.

To learn more about this capacity click on the following links to best suit your interests: multimedia, resources, learning activities.”

Wanting and seeking opportunities. Emotionally intelligent leaders understand and take initiative. This means being assertive and seeking out opportunities. Emotionally intelligent leaders have to both see the opportunity for change and make it happen. Demonstrating initiative means that individuals take action and help the work of the group move forward.

Found in: Consciousness of Self

Emotionally intelligent leaders demonstrate a healthy, positive outlook and display a positive regard for the future. Optimism is a powerful force that many overlook. When demonstrated effectively, optimism is contagious and spreads throughout a group or organization.

Found in: Consciousness of Self