Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead With Emotional Intelligence
Well Done: B
This book creates a language for discussing emotional development in adults, applying real life examples of success and failure in business leadership. Though the authors tell perfect stories to explain the applicable theories, the language itself can be somewhat redundant and cumbersome.
“When people feel good, they work at their best. Feeling good lubricates mental efficiency, making people better at understanding information and using decision rules in complex judgments, as well as more flexible in their thinking.” - Pg 14
This book is essentially an applied business guide to Daniel Golemans' Emotional Intelligence Theory, based on the inability of IQ tests to accurately predict a persons' success beyond education. It was originally designed as a psychological study for the mentally disabled, then highly regarded and disputed in the educational realm for challenging the standards upon which our educational system is based. After Golemans' book Emotional Intelligence became a New York Times bestseller, he became a business consultant for upper management teams, applying his theories to the professional world. Goleman's findings are shaping the way that America understands education, business, and social development. Though his writings often feel emotionless and scientific in nature, the subject matter still revolutionizes the way social interactions are perceived. The structure of the book itself seems to move from theory to theory, example to example. Personally, I mostly enjoyed his inclusion of both success and failure stories to illustrate examples of his theory, and give clarity to the reader.
At the very least, it is worthwhile to pick the book up in a library and photocopy appendix B on page 253 for Golemans' excellent examples of language, such as Organizational Awareness and Change Catalyst, without the less necessary terms like Stealth Learning or Neuroanatomy of Leadership.
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