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

INTRODUCTION 3
All of us have experienced days and moments like this. We need
a game plan and strategies to better manage ourselves, develop
resilience, and creatively manage others for top performance. This
is even more necessary when the stress and rigors of work and life
compromise our brain functioning and performance. We need an
Emotional Intelligence playbook.
WHY NOW: CONVERGING CHAOS
We are in the middle of a leadership “double whammy.”
First, we are in the midst of what is being called the Great Recession.
The country lost 8.4 million jobs from 2007 to 2009, four times
the net losses in the recession of the 1980s and 1.2 million more
than previously estimated. These losses are continuing in 2010. The
LA Times reports, “The severe destruction of jobs since December
2007, when the recession began, means that it will take years for
millions of distressed families—and the economy as a whole—to
climb back from what is being called the Great Recession.” 2
On top of this recession, we are approaching the largest turnover
of human capital in our history, as 40% of the American workforce
will be eligible to retire in 2010. Leaders will have to contend with a
projected shortfall of 10 million workers in the next few years. 3
The questions leaders have to face today are abundant:
• Will I have a job?
• Will my people have jobs?
• How do I motivate the ones who are here?
• How do I keep my best people from leaving and fi nding more
secure work?
• How do I train the ones who are here for the next challenge
and to be our new Stars?
• How do we deal with more work and fewer people?
• How do we all manage our stress and enjoy work more?
• How do we do our best work with all that is going on?