Ego vs. EQ

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...