Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Hands-On ... - always yours

88 LEADING WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Leaders’ ability to manage their emotions then is paramount as
they are the “emotional thermostat” for the team and can influence
the team’s mood and productivity. Their emotions of the leader are
the most contagious. The Hay Group has found that the leader has
a 50% to 70% influence over the climate of the team. Freedman and
Everett state that 70% of the top issues in the workplace are tied to
leadership. So leaders and their level of emotional intelligence have
an enormous influence on the team. 12
STRESS EQ IQ
Thompson has hypothesized that the lower one’s EQ, the faster
one may get hijacked, and the lower one’s starting EQ, the less
stress it will take to get hijacked. 13 This is a powerful rationale for
raising the organization’s EQ with resulting higher IQ, better decisions,
and overall increased performance.
FAMOUS FALLEN STAR HIJACKS
Let’s look at some famous amygdala hijacks and the results for
these Fallen Stars. What themes do you see? Although we may not
be famous, what can we learn from these stories about ourselves
and the managing and integration of our relationships, brain, and
mind?
ZINEDINE ZIDANE’S HEAD-BUTT
In front of 28.8 million viewers in 213 countries, Zinedine
Zidane, a worldwide soccer role model, lost his self-control and
head-butted Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup soccer fi nals.
Zidane was kicked out of the game. France lost the World Cup to
Italy, and Zidane’s career ended in disgrace. The viewers might have
wondered, “What was he thinking?” Again, he wasn’t.
Zidane’s surprising and aggressive response demonstrates the
three signs of the amygdala hijack: 1) strong emotional reaction, 2)
sudden onset, and 3) regret for your actions when you reflect later.