Emotional Intelligence – What do Interpersonal Skills have to do with it?
Last week Sonoma Leadership Systems launched its first full day workshop on Emotional Intelligence in San Francisco. One of the first questions that Dr. Holly Seaton asked was that participants think of a person whom they admire and write five things about that person that caused them to feel that way. Do the same exercise (it only takes a few minutes) and you may be as surprised as we were at the results. None of the examples were about technical skills. They were all about Interpersonal Skills. The groundwork was being laid at this EISA (Emotional Intelligence Skills Assessment) workshop about the importance of leaders demonstrating emotional and social intelligence. Backed up by participants’ viewing their 360 results from their assessment resulted in a rich discussion. Holly led us through the meaning and interpretations of the scores. There is no doubt that leaders who are conscious of the impact of their emotional intelligence upon others have an extraordinary opportunity to influence others positively. Along the way, they enhance their interpersonal skills and the potential to be a most admired leader.