University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Ego vs. EQ
Book

Ego vs. EQ

How Top Leaders Beat 8 Ego Traps with Emotional Intelligence

Jen Shirkani
Bibliomotion, 2013
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7

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High-level executives often allow their inflated egos to undermine common sense and smart decision making. According to consultant Jen Shirkani, you can find the remedy for that by tapping into your EQ, or emotional intelligence. She explains how ego-driven leaders can sidestep the eight most dangerous traps that undermine success and learn to heed their EQ instead. Shirkani doesn’t cover new ground, but getAbstract believes that senior executives can benefit from her helpful information and solid advice.

Summary

Stay on Top with EQ

Whether you are the CEO of a global conglomerate, a division vice president or a small-business owner, you may discover that the strengths, technical skills and motivational techniques that helped you attain your objectives aren’t enough to keep you in power. You need emotional intelligence (EQ) as well. Effective leaders understand the value of EQ and know how it can help them avoid the eight ego traps most likely to sabotage their success. Those traps are:

1. “Ignoring Feedback You Don’t Like”

Some executives base the effectiveness of their leadership on bottom-line results. They believe that a healthy profit margin and managing a workforce reasonably well define success. Other executives “suspect” that their subordinates view them positively as leaders, but they lack hard proof. Most executives can’t offer an accurate self-assessment because they don’t know if their self-appraisal aligns with other people’s perceptions. To know with certainty that you and your employees are on the same page, obtain “360-degree feedback” from a variety of people who work with you. Many organizations that administer this assessment tool intentionally omit...

About the Author

Jen Shirkani is the founder and CEO of Penumbra Group.

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