Strategic Emotional Intelligence as driver for success, achievement and growth

[David Lim]

Fellow Biznik member Russell Cox recently asked me how I would describe myself as a business leader.

I paused to think of an answer. But then I thought, "what would set a business leader apart from the rest?"

Then it occured to me.

Emotional Intelligence as the primary driver for strategic growth.

I am convinced that long-term success, profit, and achievement are driven by the use of "strategic" emotional intelligence. I've come to this conclusion AND understanding of it thanks to my academic background and professional experience in psychology, business, biology, math, social well-being, and communication.

Emotional intelligence has been defined by experts as the ability to "feel, use, communicate, recognize, remember, describe, identify, learn from, manage, understand and explain emotions." And despite the amount of research that suggests emotional intelligence is a better predictor for success than "Intelligence Quotient (IQ)," CEOs, leaders, managers, still place higher value on IQ vs. EQ.

The bottom line: I believe superior and long-run competitive edge is created through the empathetic, and strategic understanding of emotional connectedness. However, the first step in the process is the work needed to really "feel."

Once you are aware of these feelings, the next step is to develop an "intelligence" about it. What does it mean? What is its significance? How do I describe it? What AM I feeling? How do I manage these feelings without supressing them? Do others feel the same things?

S. Hein, an EI or EQ expert, says there are different levels of emotional awareness: Knowing that the feeling is present, acknowledging the feeling, identifying the feeling, accepting the feeling, reflecting on the feeling, forecasting feelings.

Hein says "emotional awareness is a key to leading a happier and more fulfilling life."

"To really 'know oneself' as the Greek philosophers urged us to do, requires that we know how we feel in all of life's many situations," Hein says.

My entire profeIssional life has been focused on understanding and using the mechanics of motivation and behavior to develop long-term success. As a therapist, coach, and writer in Seattle, my primary focus has been to help people achieve, grow, and profit by fully developing their own emotional intelligence.

Having held three marketing directorship positions in Southern California, I created campaigns based on the mechanics of consumer behavior. And as a clinical counselor for several agencies in Los Angeles, I developed a unique understanding of how addictions and compulsive behaviors are inverted reflections of qualities typically attributed to successful individuals.

What I've learned is that the more a business leader is able to employ emotionally intelligent acceptance of fear, sadness, vulnerability, heartbreak and loss, the more he/she will profit and grow in the long run.

Why? Because suffering is common to all. And because, whether real or not, suffering seems to persist in larger quantities than bliss - it is this suffering that has become the focal point of religion, philosophy, art, entertainment, spirtuality, politics, and psychology.

So isn't it time people started using all of this suffering to their strategic advantage?


David Lim (MBA, MSW), “Strategic Emotional Intelligence Coach” and Therapist
My Profile, Coaching Website

[Bruce Leonard]

David good stuff. I really love your writing style. I believe that taking the time to become aware of your emotions is a huge step in finding your true authentic self. The greatest communicators and coaches are able to draw this concept to the forefront and really get into depth about the important issues that hold us back from our goals and dreams.